Meta salaries revealed: How much the social media giant pays engineers, AI researchers, and more

Meta has unveiled the impressive salary ranges for its top talent, particularly in AI and engineering roles, based on work visa applications filed for the 2025 fiscal year. As the company ramped up hiring, particularly for AI specialists, some positions commanded astonishing salaries, with one software engineer reportedly earning a base pay of $450,000 annually. A research engineer's salary reached $400,000, while product managers averaged $348,000, not including stock options and bonuses. The insights, derived from an analysis of over 5,800 federal H-1B visa applications, reveal how Meta compensates its employees across various positions within the company and its subsidiaries, including WhatsApp. The majority of new hires were found to earn between $150,000 and $250,000 in base salary, reflecting Meta's strategy to offer competitive salaries to attract specialized AI talent and senior technical professionals. Interestingly, about half of the positions filled through the H-1B visa program were software engineering roles, where salaries can soar up to $450,000. Other tech roles, such as product designers and UX researchers, frequently earn over $200,000, while a vice president of AI can expect a staggering base salary of $650,000. These figures only represent base salaries, with total compensation packages often considerably higher due to stock options and other incentives. In the latter part of 2025, Meta reported having 78,865 employees, although the number of H-1B visa applications decreased significantly compared to the previous year. This decline followed stricter regulations implemented by the Trump administration that made the work visa process more expensive and rigorous. Despite ongoing hiring efforts, Meta has also made headlines for layoffs, particularly in its Reality Labs division. The salary data highlights the competitive landscape among major corporations, as firms from Apple to Walmart strive to offer enticing compensation packages to secure top talent in the tech industry. For instance, AI Research Scientists can earn between $163,800 to $328,000, while Machine Learning Engineers see rates from $165,000 to $250,602, illustrating the high demand and value placed on skilled professionals in this field.