Meta's 2025 H-1B Filings Reveal High Salaries for Tech Roles

In 2025, Meta Platforms Inc. reported significant base salaries for various technical positions through its H-1B visa filings. A software engineer received a base salary of $450,000, while a research engineer earned $400,000, and a product manager was compensated with $348,000. These figures exclude additional compensation such as stock options and bonuses.

The data, derived from over 5,800 federal H-1B and other work visa applications, offers insight into Meta's compensation strategies. The majority of new hires earned between $150,000 and $250,000 in base salary, with specialized AI talent and senior technical roles commanding higher premiums.

Approximately half of the positions filled through the H-1B visa program were for software engineering roles, with salaries reaching up to $450,000. Product designers and UX researchers often earned over $200,000, and a vice president of AI received a base salary of $650,000.

These base salaries do not account for stock options, signing bonuses, and other perks, which can significantly increase total compensation packages. For high-level researchers, total packages reportedly exceeded $100 million.

By the end of 2025, Meta employed 78,865 individuals. In the last quarter of 2025, H-1B visa filings at Meta decreased by approximately half compared to the same period the previous year. This decline coincided with changes to the work visa program implemented in September, which increased costs and introduced stricter scrutiny for applicants. Despite ongoing hiring efforts, Meta also conducted layoffs in its Reality Labs and other units.