Meta said to have offered bonuses of up to $150m to leading engineers
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The competition to attract the best AI talent has increased enormously, driving salaries to unprecedented levels. Tech giants like Meta and OpenAI are fiercely competing to attract the best researchers and engineers, employing aggressive tactics and offering significant financial incentives.
OpenAI is actively seeking innovative ways to reward its top performers after some have moved to rival companies. The move follows reports that Meta has offered $150 million in bonuses to leading AI engineers.
This rise in salaries reflects the immense value placed on AI expertise. In Silicon Valley, senior AI researchers now earn significantly higher salaries than their colleagues who are not specialized in artificial intelligence. While some engineers earn more than $10 million (€8.5 million) per year, typical salaries range between $3 million and $7 million (€2.5 to €6 million), representing a 50% increase compared to 2022.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has ramped up his efforts to recruit top talent after the lukewarm reception of his latest major language model, Llama 4. The company’s recent investments in Scale AI, including hiring co-founder Alexandr Wang to lead a “superintelligence” team, underscore this commitment.
OpenAI, under increasing pressure from Meta’s recruitment campaign, has taken proactive steps to retain employees. Research director Mark Chen recently highlighted OpenAI’s commitment to competitive rewards and creative recognition initiatives to keep its valuable employees on board.
The trend of rising salaries extends beyond giants like Meta and OpenAI. Recruitment firm Harrison Clarke reports a significant increase in salaries in the AI sector. Research scientists at major tech companies can now expect total compensation between $500,000 and $2 million (€424,000 and €1.7 million), up from $400,000 to $900,000 (€340,000 and €763,000) in 2022.
While financial incentives are crucial, researchers often prefer factors such as the reputation of their team leaders and the quality of the work they do. The fierce competition for talent is prompting some smaller tech companies to explore alternative recruitment strategies. Hugging Face, an open source AI start-up, is looking to Europe, where it can attract experienced engineers at lower costs than in Silicon Valley.
Additionally, AI researchers are increasingly considering the ethical implications and societal impact of their work when making career decisions. Companies like Aleph Alpha, a fast-growing German AI start-up, emphasize research freedom, publication opportunities, and aligning AI development with societal values as key differentiators in attracting talent.
Business AM