Calculator
RSU vesting schedule calculator
Every RSU grant pays out on a schedule set by the company, and the schedules differ more than most people expect: Amazon back-loads, Google front-loads, Meta pays quarterly from the first quarter. This calculator maps the exact vest dates and share counts for your grant, projects the value, and estimates the tax to set aside each year.
This calculator runs in your browser and needs JavaScript. With scripts off you can still read the explanation below, which walks through the same maths by hand.
Running these numbers for a real decision? The calculator shows the mechanics. It cannot see your full return, your other income, or your state’s quirks. Before you act on a large vest, exercise or conversion, have a CPA or a fee-only advisor who works with equity compensation check the figures. Find a fee-only adviser near you or get matched.
How the standard schedules compare
| Company | Standard new-hire schedule | Share vested after year 1 / 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 5% at 12 months, 15% at 24 months, then 20% every six months | 5% / 20% |
| Front-loaded 33% / 33% / 22% / 12% by year, vesting monthly | 33% / 66% | |
| Meta | 6.25% every quarter for four years | 25% / 50% |
| Microsoft (on-hire award) | 25% on each anniversary for four years | 25% / 50% |
| Apple | 12.5% every six months for four years | 25% / 50% |
| Nvidia, Salesforce | 25% at 12 months, then 6.25% quarterly | 25% / 50% |
| Typical startup | 25% at the one-year cliff, then monthly | 25% / 50% |
These are the schedules as published by the companies or widely reported by employees; refresh grants often vest on a different pattern, and your grant agreement governs. The company guides for Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft go into the detail.
Why the shape of the schedule matters
Two grants of the same value can feel very different. Amazon’s schedule pays only 20% of a new-hire grant in the first two years, which is why Amazon layers a cash sign-on bonus over the same period; leaving before month 30 forfeits most of the grant. Google’s front-loading means two-thirds of the grant arrives in the first two years and later years lean on refreshers. For planning, the schedule tells you when income spikes land, when your concentration in company stock peaks, and when leaving costs the most.
The tax by calendar year
Each vest is W-2 income at that day’s price. The calculator groups the vests by calendar year, adds them to your other wages, and compares the statutory withholding (22% federal, 37% above $1,000,000 of supplemental wages, plus state and payroll taxes) with the tax you will actually owe at your marginal rates. The gap is what to set aside or cover with extra W-4 withholding. The RSU tax calculator does the same for a single vest in more detail, and the RSU tax guide explains the rules.
What happens if you leave
Unvested RSUs are forfeited on your last day at almost every company. Vested shares are yours. Because vest dates are fixed, the timing of a resignation can be worth a great deal: leaving the week before a 20% Amazon tranche or a quarterly Meta vest forfeits that tranche entirely. Severance packages sometimes accelerate or extend vesting; the severance guide covers what to look for.
Assumptions and limits
- Projects the share price with a constant annual growth rate; real prices do not move that way, and the value column is illustrative.
- Rounds each tranche down to whole shares and adds the remainder to the final vest; plans vary in how they handle fractions.
- Vest dates are counted in calendar months from the grant date; many companies vest on fixed dates (the 15th of the month, or set quarterly dates) that shift the real date by days or weeks.
- The tax estimate uses the standard deduction and the same other wages each year, with no refresh grants.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the schedule to match my grant agreement?
Yes: choose Custom and enter one tranche per line as months:percent. A 50%/50% two-year grant is 12:50 and 24:50.
Do dividends count?
Unvested RSUs do not pay dividends; some companies credit dividend equivalents that pay out at vest as additional income. The calculator ignores them.
Does the price growth assumption change the tax?
Yes. A higher assumed price means larger vest income and a larger gap in later years, because the withholding rate stays at 22% while more of the income falls in higher brackets.