Meta pays its top AI engineers up to $440,000 base salary as competition for talent heats up

Meta is doubling down on its artificial intelligence ambitions — and it’s willing to pay big to keep an edge over rivals. According to recent federal filings, Meta’s top AI research engineers are earning base salaries of up to $440,000 per year — approximately ₹3.76 crore at current exchange rates — even before factoring in bonuses, equity, and other perks.

These figures come from H-1B visa programme filings, which U.S. companies are required to submit when hiring foreign workers. The filings, reviewed by Business Insider, offer a rare glimpse into the salaries offered to some of the most in-demand professionals in tech — especially in the high-stakes AI space.

AI engineers lead Meta’s pay scale

The filings reveal that Meta offers a broad range of salaries to attract and retain talent across its AI teams.

• AI research engineers: $165,000–$440,000 base pay

• Machine learning engineers: Up to $440,000

• Senior research scientists & technical program managers: Start at $230,000 and higher

• Software engineers: Up to $480,000 base pay

• Data science managers/directors: $248,000–$320,000

• Product managers, designers & UX researchers: All comfortably in six-figure territory

These base salaries do not include stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), or annual bonuses — all of which form a significant part of the total compensation at big tech firms like Meta, particularly for roles tied to AI development.

Not just Meta: AI talent wars escalate

Meta’s aggressive pay packages are part of a wider race among Silicon Valley giants to secure the best AI minds.
Other companies, including startups, are also offering lucrative salaries. Notably, Thinking Machines Lab — a stealth-mode startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati — reportedly offers base salaries as high as $500,000, even before launching a product.

The ongoing competition reflects how crucial AI has become to the future of these companies, driving up salaries and intensifying the hunt for specialized talent worldwide.

Meta’s focus on AI has been underlined by the creation of its SuperIntelligence Lab, which has attracted leading experts from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic. The high compensation packages further signal Zuckerberg’s intent to dominate the next wave of technological innovation.