Amazon vs Google vs Microsoft vs Meta vs Apple: software engineer pay, from government filings
When big tech companies hire on work visas, they must report each position’s base salary to the U.S. Department of Labor. Here’s what Meta, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon reported for software developers, ranked by median. For comparison, the U.S. median for all software developers is $135,980 (BLS, May 2025).
| COMPANY | 25TH | MEDIAN | 75TH | 90TH | SALARIES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | $188,471 | $221,579 | $238,550 | $265,200 | 2,074 |
| Meta Platforms | $186,200 | $217,000 | $232,499 | $266,970 | 2,798 |
| $167,000 | $193,000 | $208,447 | $236,515 | 4,948 | |
| Microsoft | $160,180 | $179,000 | $198,741 | $220,124 | 3,236 |
| Amazon | $144,500 | $165,000 | $185,400 | $205,000 | 6,461 |
Best-paying cities at each company
- Santa Clara, CA$233,014 · 42
- New York, NY$230,846 · 34
- Cupertino, CA$229,121 · 810
- Burlingame, CA$223,443 · 141
- Sunnyvale, CA$222,950 · 123
- Menlo Park, CA$218,402 · 1238
- New York, NY$200,000 · 374
- Sunnyvale, CA$200,000 · 1476
- Mountain View, CA$200,000 · 1598
- Mountain View, CA$203,895 · 258
- Redmond, WA$180,710 · 2338
- New York, NY$173,157 · 40
- East Palo Alto, CA$216,300 · 33
- Sunnyvale, CA$187,741 · 359
- Santa Clara, CA$187,741 · 144
These are base salaries only. Bonus and stock, often a large share of big-tech pay, aren’t in the filings. Cities shown have at least 30 reported salaries.
Head-to-head: Google vs Meta · Amazon vs Microsoft · Apple vs Google · all comparisons
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. Department of Labor OFLC LCA disclosure data, FY2026 Q3 (certified, full-time). Base wages only. Not financial advice.
Were you outpaid?
Your salary is ranked in your browser and never uploaded.