Desk·2026-08-14
Biotech SWE is not a lab seat
Vertex and Genentech pay like careful public companies. Xaira and Isomorphic pay like small labs. Do not confuse the two.
Xaira typical $340,000 against $255,000 at Vertex.
Boston vs SSF-hot
Xaira typical sits well above Vertex
One is a profitable Boston machine. One is a 2024 raise. The cash gap is the risk.
How to plan it
Pick the science or pick the ticker
If you want to work next to chemists and keep RSUs that already trade, Vertex, Regeneron, Genentech. If you want the 2026-hot AI-for-drug story, Xaira and Isomorphic — and treat the paper as a lottery ticket, not a plan. A mid IC who needs a house in two years should not underwrite a 2024 raise.
Also: Biotech SWE