In 2025, Meta embarked on an extensive hiring campaign, with an emphasis on acquiring top-tier engineering and artificial intelligence (AI) talent. A recent report from Business Insider reveals insights from over 5,800 federal H-1B visa applications, indicating that Meta is not shying away from offering some of the highest salaries in the tech industry to attract talent.
Unbelievable Salary Offerings
According to H-1B visa data, base salaries for various roles at Meta have reached astonishing levels. Notable compensation figures included a software engineer earning $450,000 annually, while a research engineer took home $400,000. Even product managers saw substantial salaries, landing around $348,000, all before considering stock options, bonuses, and other perks.
Meta’s commitment to investing heavily in specialized roles is further emphasized by the staggering $650,000 base salary commanded by the vice president of AI. This willingness to offer competitive compensation showcases how crucial AI talent has become for tech giants.
Salary Breakdown by Role
The entry-level salaries at Meta typically ranged from $150,000 to $250,000, but for senior technical positions, particularly in AI, the pay was significantly higher. Here’s a look at the salary range for key roles based on the recent filings:
- 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
These figures solely reflect base salaries, but it is essential to note that stock options and bonuses can potentially double or even triple the total compensation, especially for high-level researchers, where reported packages exceeded $100 million.
Trends in Visa Hiring and Workforce Dynamics
This hiring trend underscores Meta’s increasing reliance on international talent, with nearly half of the company’s visa hires in 2025 being software engineers. However, it’s worth mentioning that the number of visa applications halved in the last quarter compared to the previous year, a direct impact of changes made to the H-1B visa program under the Trump administration.
Despite these challenges, Meta continued its restructuring and expansion of its AI workforce consistently. By the year’s end, the company reported an impressive total of 78,865 employees in its 10-K filing, reflecting its ambitious growth strategy focused on technology and innovation.
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