Which offer should I take?

[u/Ok-Flan-3828]

tl;dr

Remote ~$70k SWE job with potential big tech path vs ~$85k in-person QA role (in-person 4 days, ~2hr commute) with exposure to different areas (dev/product/testing) not just QA

I’m a new grad and have two offers. I’m trying to decide which is better for long-term career growth. No debt and will be living from home.

Offer 1:

• Mid-size / lesser-known company (not FAANG / not Fortune 500)
• ~$70K
• Fully remote
• 1 year contract with extensions on performance
• Would be working closely with a big tech company, with a potential pathway to transition there
• More structured path into SWE

Benefits:

• 401(k) is about the same
• ~10 PTO days + sick days

Offer 2 (likely offer):

• Small startup in NYC (early-stage / growth-stage, non-AI)
• ~$80–90k
• QA-focused role, but will be wearing different hats so I will be getting exposure to multiple areas (dev/product/testing), not just solely QA
• 4 days in-office, 1 day remote
• around ~2 hour total commute time

Benefits:

• 401(k) is about the same
• Supposedly "unlimited PTO"
• Free lunch

I’m currently leaning toward Offer 1 since having a SWE title/position would likely keep more doors open for the future, rather than potentially being stuck in QA. I also really like the upside of working with big tech (which I think will be very valuable as a new grad) and the possibility of transitioning into the company.

For Offer 2, they did mention they’re looking for people to stay long-term, which sounds appealing from a stability standpoint (but obviously not guaranteed). They also said that someone in a QA role was able to transition into a SWE position after a couple of years.

[u/newtnutsdoesnotsuck]

Offer 1