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 New Hampshire changes
New Hampshire has no wage income tax, which is structurally favorable for firmware engineers with meaningful RSU comp. The savings vs a CA-resident colleague can be $30-60k per year at senior IC levels. That math is why Austin and Seattle are the two top relocation destinations for Bay Area tech workers.
Planning cadence
For a firmware engineer in New Hampshire, 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). A move-out question — if you're considering leaving New Hampshire for a high-tax state, time it around vesting.