Recent Meta salary disclosures, drawn from over 5,800 H-1B and other work visa filings, show the company offered base salaries of up to $450,000 for software engineers and $650,000 for top AI executives in 2025.
These figures provide a rare, data-backed window into the compensation structures at one of the world's largest technology companies. For founders and operators, particularly those at startups, this data establishes a new and formidable benchmark in the ongoing competition for elite technical talent. The immediate consequence is an intensified pressure on compensation packages across the industry, forcing smaller companies to re-evaluate their strategies for attracting and retaining senior engineers, AI researchers, and product leaders who are now seeing validated, top-of-market salaries at major corporations.
What We Know So Far
- The salary information originates from an analysis of more than 5,800 of Meta's H-1B and other work visa applications, according to reports from outlets including Hindustan Times. U.S. companies are required to disclose salary ranges when filing these applications for foreign workers.
- Base salaries for certain software engineer positions at Meta reached as high as $450,000 in 2025, according to the filings.
- A Vice President of Engineering focused on artificial intelligence can command a base salary of up to $650,000, as detailed in the visa data and reported by livemint.com.
- While top-end salaries are high, most Meta employees reportedly earn base salaries in the range of $150,000 to $250,000.
- Product manager roles at the company were shown to have base salaries ranging between $165,000 and $348,000.
- The disclosed figures represent base pay only. According to an analysis by digitaltoday.co.kr, total compensation often becomes two to three times higher when stock options, signing bonuses, and performance pay are included.
