Here's what Meta pays its AI engineers
What's the story
Meta is shelling out big bucks to hire artificial intelligence (AI) talent, a recent analysis of H-1B visa filings has revealed. The analysis, reviewed by Business Insider, shows that machine learning engineers at Meta can earn as much as $250,000 (₹2.1 crore). The data was collected from over 5,800 H-1B and other visa applications for 2025 and covers compensation across Meta's ecosystem including WhatsApp.
Salary range
Software engineers in machine learning can earn over $250,000
Software engineers working in machine learning and related fields usually earn between $144,000 (₹1.2 crore) and nearly $300,000 (₹2.5 crore). Senior roles can fetch over $250,000 (₹2.1 crore). Core engineering roles have the widest salary ranges with software engineers earning between $124,000 (₹1 crore) and $450,000 (₹3.7 crore), especially those in senior or infrastructure-focused positions.
High earnings
Research roles top Meta's pay structure
Data engineers and data scientists at Meta also rake in a good amount, with salaries reaching close to $300,000 (₹2.5 crore) at higher levels. Research roles are at the top of Meta's pay structure with AI research scientists earning between $163,800 (₹1.3 crore) and $328,000 (₹2.7 crore). Research engineers can make between $124,000 (₹1 crore) and $400,000 (₹3.3 crore), making them some of the highest-paid individual contributors in the tech industry today.
Top earners
UX research and product management also see high compensation
Even user experience research roles can cross $290,000 (₹2.4 crore) at senior levels, emphasizing the growing importance of research in shaping AI-driven products. High pay isn't restricted to engineers and researchers; product managers can earn up to $348,000 (₹2.9 crore), while design leadership roles come close to $340,000 (₹2.8 crore). Business API product marketing managers can make around $269,719 (₹2.2 crore).