ML/AI Engineer | Etsy Global Negotiation Guide

Negotiation DNA: Equity-Heavy + Bonus | Handmade & Vintage Marketplace | $750M Share Buyback (Feb 2026) | 14.2% Float Reduction | +15–25% AI PREMIUM

Region	Base Salary	Stock (RSU/4yr)	Bonus	Total Comp
Brooklyn	$198K–$248K	$142K–$252K	10–15%	$238K–$332K
San Francisco	$205K–$255K	$142K–$252K	10–15%	$245K–$342K
Remote US	$188K–$238K	$142K–$252K	10–15%	$228K–$322K

Negotiation DNA

Etsy ML/AI Engineers build the machine learning systems that power the marketplace's most valuable capabilities — search ranking, personalized recommendations, visual search, listing quality scoring, fraud detection, and the AI-powered discovery features that help 96M+ buyers find the perfect handmade item among hundreds of millions of listings. Your ML models directly determine the metrics that drive Etsy's GMS: search relevance, browse-to-purchase conversion, and buyer engagement. The 15-25% AI Premium reflects ML's outsized impact on marketplace revenue. [Source: Etsy ML Comp 2025-2026]

Level Mapping: Etsy ML/AI Eng (E3-E4) = Google L4-L5 ML = Meta ML Eng = Amazon Applied Scientist II = Shopify ML Eng

$750M Share Buyback — The 14.2% Stock Floor

Etsy announced a $750M share repurchase program in February 2026 — buying back 14.2% of its outstanding float. This is the strongest signal a company can send about stock undervaluation: Etsy is spending three-quarters of a billion dollars to buy its own shares, reducing supply and creating a price floor. "As an ML/AI Engineer with the 15-25% AI Premium, I build the models that directly drive Etsy's GMS — search ranking, recommendations, and visual search. I want maximum RSU allocation — $245K+ over 4 years. The $750M buyback reduces float by 14.2%, amplifying every share. My ML models have the single largest impact on search relevance and conversion — the metrics that determine Etsy's revenue. The buyback creates a stock floor, the AI Premium reflects my outsized impact, and the float reduction amplifies my equity. This is the triple play: buyback floor + AI premium + float reduction." Push for ML-premium RSU packages with maximum share count.

Global Levers

1. $750M Buyback + AI Premium — Triple RSU Play: "Etsy's $750M buyback creates a stock floor, the 14.2% float reduction amplifies ownership, and my ML models have the largest impact on GMS. With the 15-25% AI Premium, I want $240K+ RSUs."
2. Search Ranking ML — Revenue Engine: "My ranking models determine what 96M+ buyers see when they search. Search relevance is the single most important factor in GMS per visit — and my ML directly controls it."
3. Visual Search & Discovery AI: "I build the visual search and AI discovery features that differentiate Etsy — letting buyers search by image, find similar items, and discover new categories. These AI features drive engagement and repeat purchases."
4. Listing Quality & Fraud Detection ML: "My ML models score listing quality and detect fraud — protecting the marketplace integrity that makes Etsy's handmade brand trustworthy. Quality and trust directly drive buyer confidence and conversion."

Negotiate Up Strategy: "I'm targeting $245K base and $248K RSUs over 4 years with the 15-25% AI Premium for this ML/AI Engineer role. Etsy's $750M buyback reduces float by 14.2% — the triple play of buyback floor, AI premium, and float reduction makes RSUs the optimal bet. My ML models on search ranking and recommendations have the largest impact on GMS per visit. I have competing offers from [Shopify at $335K TC / Pinterest at $328K TC / eBay at $322K TC]. Etsy's buyback-amplified RSUs and my ML-to-revenue pipeline justify maximum AI Premium share count." Accept at $228K+ base and $222K+ RSUs.

Evidence & Sources

• [Etsy $750M Share Repurchase — February 2026, 14.2% Float Reduction]
• [Etsy ML Comp — Levels.fyi 2025-2026 + AI Premium]
• [Etsy Search Ranking ML — GMS Revenue Impact]
• [Etsy Visual Search & AI Discovery]