Apple’s base salaries for engineers, designers, data scientists and other specialists have come into focus following federal filings tied to the H-1B visa programme. These disclosures are required when the company sponsors foreign workers in the United States. Therefore they reveal a wide range of annual pay figures that offer a look at how one of the world’s most valuable tech firms compensates top talent. Importantly, these ranges reflect only base pay, excluding bonuses, equity and other perks that can significantly raise total compensation.
Based on data from the US Department of Labor, highlighted by Business Insider, Apple appears to pay its employees notably competitive salaries across roles.
Why This Data Matters?
Apple, like other industry giants, does not typically publish detailed salary breakdowns. But documents submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor for H-1B sponsorship provide insight into the base earnings Apple offers across various technical and professional roles. Analysts say this helps illustrate how Apple competes for key skills in AI, chip design and advanced software engineering.
Engineering and Hardware Salaries?
The disclosed range of salaries for engineering roles shows variation depending on specialization and responsibility:
CPU Implementation Engineer: $103,164–$264,200
Design for Test Engineer: $131,352–$293,800
Hardware Systems Engineer: $125,495–$378,700
Physical Design Engineer: $101,982–$341,200
Module Design Engineer: $108,796–$329,600
Production Services Engineer: $122,800–$293,800
These figures indicate that hardware and system-level engineers can command higher pay bands, particularly as projects increase in complexity.
Data and Machine Learning Roles
Data-centric jobs — especially tied to machine learning and analytics — remain highly competitive:
Data Engineer: $105,602–$234,700
Data Scientist: $105,550–$322,400
Machine Learning Engineer: $143,100–$312,200
Machine Learning (General): $126,880–$329,600
Machine Learning Research: $114,100–$312,200
The broad ranges in these categories reflect demand for applied AI expertise and foundational data engineering talent.
Software Development and Design
Software roles show some of the most lucrative upper tiers in Apple’s salary structure:
Software Developer / AR/VR Developer: $129,805–$312,200
Software Development Engineer (Various Disciplines): Up to $378,700
Human Interface Designer: Up to $468,500
The Human Interface Designer role stands out with one of the highest reported base pay ceilings — highlighting Apple’s emphasis on design in its product strategy.
Other Professional Positions
Not all roles are strictly technical. The filings also show compensation for business and support-oriented positions:
Professional Services Consultant: $100,200–$258,700
Strategic Sourcing Manager: $110,600–$286,400
Supply Demand Planning: $100,200–$209,900
These ranges demonstrate that even non-engineering professionals at Apple receive competitive base salaries.
While these base pay figures offer only part of the story, they make it clear that Apple continues to invest heavily in talent across engineering, software development, data science and design. With fierce competition for tech skills, such compensation structures help Apple attract and retain professionals capable of driving innovation in areas like artificial intelligence, silicon design and next-generation software.
