The recent controversy surrounding the H-1B visa has forced big tech firms in the US to undergo a major rethinking of their employee composition. While the new fee implemented for new H-1B visa applicants may force most organisations to consider local talent, Google, just like Microsoft and other big tech firms, has to renew applications for existing H-1B visa-holding employees, a process that has revealed the salary details of some tech roles.
A recent analysis of thousands of work visa applications, which was shared by Business Insider, has shed light on what employees at Google truly earn, thereby providing a detailed breakdown of base salaries across a wide range of roles.
The salary data, sourced from official H-1B visa applications filed with the US Department of Labour, represents the base pay offered to foreign workers for specific positions at Google. While these figures do not account for additional forms of compensation such as performance bonuses, stock options, or other lucrative benefits – perks that are common at companies like Google – they provide a foundational understanding of the company’s pay structure.
H-1B visa data reveals salaries at Google
The salary data disclosure highlights the value Google places on its technical workforce, from entry-level engineers to seasoned leaders.
The data clarifies that compensation varies significantly based on job title, level of seniority, and the specialised nature of the role. For example, the highest earners are in senior-level positions, thus reflecting the high demand for experienced professionals who can lead complex projects and teams at Google. The data also highlights the emphasis on roles in AI and cloud computing.
H-1B visa salary data breakdown
Here is a list of all the leaked salary data from the H-1B visa filings.
– Software Engineer: up to $400,000
– Engineering Manager: up to $1,000,000
– Software Engineer, L7: $200,000 – $300,000
– Senior Software Engineer: $300,000+
– UX Designer: $190,000 – $220,000
– Research Scientist: $180,000 – $260,000
– Product Manager: $250,000 – $320,000
– Data Scientist: $160,000 – $220,000
– Technical Program Manager: $190,000 – $250,000
– Software Engineer, L6: $180,000 – $220,000
– Hardware Engineer: $180,000 – $230,000
– Cloud Architect: $170,000 – $210,000
Note that this data only details the base salary structure and doesn’t reveal the perks and additional bonus.