Meta's Paychecks: What Engineers and Researchers Really Earn

Tech giants are in a fierce battle for top talent, and Meta is no exception.

High Salaries for Top Roles

• Software Engineers: Up to $480,000 annually
• Machine Learning Specialists: Up to $440,000 annually
• Product Designers & Researchers: Over $200,000 annually

These figures come from H-1B visa filings, providing a rare glimpse into tech pay scales.

Beyond Base Salaries

• Stock options
• Signing bonuses
• Other perks

These can significantly increase total compensation packages.

The AI Talent War

• Meta is offering AI researchers packages worth up to $300 million over four years.
• Thinking Machines Lab, a secretive AI startup, is paying technical staff up to $500,000 in base salaries.

Personal Conflicts Emerge

After Meta poached seven researchers from OpenAI, including Trapit Bansal, co-creator of OpenAI's o1 reasoning model, OpenAI's chief research officer, Mark Chen, reportedly said:

"It felt like someone has broken into our home."