Prime Highlights
- Meta is offering software engineers as much as $480,000 and machine-learning engineers as much as $440,000 in base pay.
- AI researchers are being offered as much as $300 million total over four years in Meta’s Superintelligence Lab.
Key Facts
- Meta’s base salary numbers don’t include bonuses and equity, which can add tens of thousands of dollars to overall compensation.
- New startups such as Thinking Machines Lab are matching or outbidding Meta’s offers, offering up to $500,000 base.
- Meta has recruited a number of OpenAI researchers, prompting internal worries within the competing entity.
Key Background
In 2025, Meta is among the most ruthless competitors in the worldwide AI talent war. Recent revelations from its recent H-1B visa filings show that the company’s highest-paid software engineers receive base pay of up to $480,000, and machine-learning engineers of up to $440,000. These base pay rates are not including bonuses, stock options, or other forms of remuneration that can double, or even triple, the overall compensation packages.
The compensation bump emphasizes Meta’s aggressive drive to lead in the AI field, especially with its recently launched Superintelligence Lab. With CEO Mark Zuckerberg and CTO Andrew Bosworth both directly overseeing it, the organization is making massive investments in infrastructure, people, and research. Some of the best AI researchers, particularly those in top leadership roles, are being lured by a combined compensation of as much as $300 million over four years. This investment is a reflection of the strategic value that Meta attaches to artificial intelligence as the future of technology
Meta’s pay strategy is not an isolated occurrence. New players in the field such as Thinking Machines Lab are paying engineers base salaries of as much as $500,000 before product release. The competition has turned AI engineers and researchers into some of Silicon Valley’s most sought-after workers. Besides massive salaries, firms are also now providing equity perks, long-term incentives, and leadership positions to attract top workers.
Meta’s aggressive recruitment has created significant tension in the field. The company has managed to poach no fewer than seven OpenAI researchers, an action that prompted OpenAI leaders to lash out and created concern about retaining staff. Some in the AI community regard Meta’s compensation strategies as a “talent raid,” but others perceive it as one aspect of the general juggling of priorities during the AI boom.
As Big Tech titans and high-profile startups race to create next-gen AI systems, pay is probably going to keep going up. Meta’s strategy indicates that fiscal heft, paired with scaled-up research ambitions, will be the ticket to success in the AI battle.
