Meta’s Hiring Surge: Salary Trends for AI and Engineering Roles in 2025

In 2025, Meta embarked on an aggressive hiring spree, particularly focusing on securing top talent in engineering and artificial intelligence (AI). According to a report from Business Insider, the company filed more than 5,800 H-1B and other work visa applications, offering salaries that rival some of the highest pay scales in Silicon Valley.

Extraordinary Compensation for Specialized Roles

The H-1B visa data reveals staggering figures, showcasing just how willing Meta was to pay top dollar for specialized positions. A software engineer, for instance, commanded a remarkable base salary of $450,000, while research engineers and product managers earned $400,000 and $348,000, respectively. At the peak, a vice president of AI received an impressive base salary of $650,000, highlighting Meta’s commitment to attracting premium talent in the tech sector.

Salaries Across Key Engineering and AI Roles

The filings indicate that salaries for new hires primarily ranged between $150,000 and $250,000. However, technical and AI-focused roles saw significantly higher compensation, as illustrated below:

• AI Research Scientist: $163,800 – $328,000
• Machine Learning Engineer: $165,000 – $250,602
• Research Engineer: $124,000 – $400,000
• Software Engineer: $124,000 – $450,000
• UX Researcher: $163,000 – $292,160
• Data Scientist: $122,760 – $295,703

It’s important to note that these figures reflect base salaries only, excluding stock options, bonuses, and other perks, which can significantly elevate overall compensation. For high-level researchers, total packages offered by Meta reportedly exceeded $100 million, emphasizing the financial incentives driving recruitment in this competitive market.

A Close Look at H-1B Employee Salaries

Meta’s hiring data gives a comprehensive overview of the salary ranges associated with various positions, revealing insights into the company’s approach to attracting international talent. Here are some notable salary ranges for H-1B employees at Meta:

Visa Trends and Workforce Dynamics

Interestingly, nearly half of Meta’s visa hires in 2025 were software engineers, underscoring the company’s reliance on international talent. However, the data also indicates a significant reduction in filings during the last quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year. This decline was linked to changes introduced to the H-1B visa program under Trump’s administration. Despite these challenges, Meta continued its aggressive expansion of its AI workforce, ultimately reporting 78,865 employees by the year’s end.

As the tech industry evolves, the demand for AI and engineering talent is likely to remain fiercely competitive. Companies like Meta, with their willingness to offer substantial salaries and specialized roles, are setting the stage for a new landscape in AI recruitment.