How much does Apple pay its employees in AI, software and other roles?

The AI race is heating up and top companies are striving to retain their top AI talent. In the past one month, four senior AI researchers haves switched to Meta from Apple, forcing the tech giant to increase compensation for engineers in its Apple Foundation Models (AFM) group, according to a Bloomberg reports.

Apple is lagging behind in the AI race even after launching Apple Intelligence in 2024. Siri’s major revamp remains delayed, and Apple’s AI search ambitions are still in early development.

However, the company is hiring across machine learning and AI roles and is offering lucrative pay packages and perks like stock grants, product discounts, and flexible working conditions.


While Apple does not publicly disclose salaries, a report by Business Insider shared filings for international hires. The filings reveal that AI and engineering roles are among the best-paid.

Here is a look at Apple’s salary ranges across various roles (base pay only, excluding stock grants and bonuses):

	Salary Range (USD)
Machine Learning Engineer	$143,100 - $312,200
Machine Learning Researcher	$114,100 - $312,200
Data Scientist	$105,550 - $322,400
Software Development Engineer (Applications)	$132,267 - $378,700
Human Interface Designer	$135,400 - $468,500
Hardware Systems Engineer	$125,495 - $378,700
AR/VR Software Development	$129,805 - $312,200
Software Engineering Manager	$166,691 - $378,700
RF/Analog/Mixed Signal Engineer	$131,352 - $312,200
Design Verification Engineer	$103,164 - $312,200

While Apple's salaries are competitive, Meta's poaching spree highlights a broader “talent war” in AI, where giants are racing not just for products, but for people.