They reveal how much an Apple employee earns according to department and technical position.

For the first time, the base salaries  offered by  Apple  in the United States have been revealed. The data comes from official documents submitted by the company to the U.S. government.

The information shows salary ranges by area and technical specialty. Although it doesn't include bonuses or extra benefits, it provides a real overview of how talent is compensated at the firm.

How much does an engineer earn at Apple?

Salaries vary according to role, experience, and area. In general, they range from USD 94,640 to nearly USD 500,000 per year.

Key technical areas and their salaries

• Hardware engineering and design: between USD 103,000 and USD 378,700.
• Software engineering: from USD 94,640 to USD 378,700.
• Machine Learning and AI: between USD 114,100 and USD 329,600.
• Data Science: up to USD 322,400 per year.

The highest recorded salary was for the Human Interface Designer position, which can reach USD 468,500 per year.

Where does this information come from?

Apple submitted this data to the U.S. Department of Labor during the second quarter of 2025. This is a legal requirement for companies hiring foreign workers under certain visas.

The records include only annual base salary and don't consider bonuses, shares, stock options or extra benefits. They don't represent the total salary of all employees, but only of those hired under that regime.

Apple vs. other big tech: who pays better?

The report compares Apple with other companies in the sector:

• Meta: up to USD 480,000 for software engineers.
• Google: up to USD 340,000.
• Microsoft: between USD 82,971 and USD 284,000.

In AI, Apple pays well, but doesn't lead. Meta has offered more than USD 20 million in total compensation to attract artificial intelligence experts.

Artificial intelligence talent drain

In recent months, four key Apple researchers have left for Meta. Competition for AI talent is fierce, and salaries are only part of the game.

Apple launched its own AI platform, Apple Intelligence, but still has work ahead. Craig Federighi, an executive at the company, acknowledged that Siri needs to catch up with its competitors.

Tim Cook's salary

Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, earned USD 74.6 million in 2024, including salary, bonuses, and shares. The company promotes an inclusive culture, valuing curiosity and collaboration above traditional titles.