Typical comp shape
Firmware engineers usually earn rsu + espp. Common employers include Apple, Nvidia, Qualcomm. Semiconductor ESPPs with lookback provisions can produce 30%+ effective discounts worth maxing despite concentration risk.
What Massachusetts changes
In Massachusetts, every RSU vest, NSO exercise, and ESPP purchase carries 9% state tax on top of federal. For a senior firmware engineer with $300k+ of equity income, the state layer routinely adds $25-45k to the annual bill.
Planning cadence
For a firmware engineer in Massachusetts, the three planning windows are: after each RSU vest (withholding check and sell-vs-hold), before any ISO exercise (AMT model at federal only), and in Q4 (estimated tax top-up to clear the safe harbor).