The technology industry has been through too much in too short a time. In the past five years, it has seen a boom with the pandemic, a supposed talent shortage (according to HR firms, at least), then massive layoffs with the return to normalcy, and now an oversaturated labour market and a consequent drop in wages. A genuine rollercoaster.
Facebook (Meta), Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google are no exceptions to this back-and-forth. But they still remain dominant players. The drop in hiring opportunities and the potential for a bubble to burst do raise concerns, but, in any case, tech companies are still doing well. The five giants have well-earned a reputation for paying high salaries to developers. But what exactly counts as a high salary these days?
*Please note that sources vary and that some figures are averages, meaning that Apple workers could earn much more than what we showcase, and a Netflix engineer much less.
How much does FAANG pay in 2024?
As of 2024, the average US FAANG total compensation is €310,000, which is roughly €149 per hour. In Germany, the average total compensation for software developers working at FAANG companies is €164,000, around €79 per hour. We obtained these figures by averaging the total salaries for each company, details which you’ll be able to break down in this article.
Please note that earning around €150 per hour is a massive salary, even for a software engineer. For your reference, clinching the €50/hour mark is already very profitable for a salary, because it means that your 40-hour workweek is billable, and it accounts to around almost €100,000 a year. Since some senior FAANG salaries in the US are monstrous, especially due to workers’ access to equity and cash bonuses, it skewed this average to almost €150 an hour. Also, most of the RSUs and equity benefits are unrealised gains — money that’s potentially in your bank account, but not money proper until you cash it out. So earning €150 per hour as a FAANG software engineer is not a straightforward calculation. That figure is feasible, it exists, and it could conceivably occur to you if you work at FAANG, but it’s not the standard.
Realistic Software Engineer Salaries →
Compared to their peers in the tech sector, base salaries at FAANG companies are typically higher and benefits are also usually among the best. Sources vary, but a tried-and-tested figure in 2024 indicated junior software engineers in FAANG earn an average of €165,900 ($180k USD) in the United States. In comparison, junior software engineers in Germany earn, on average, €44,600 ($40k USD) — a more than substantial difference.
So how does this break down? How much do FAANG companies actually pay software engineers in 2024? Considering the layoffs and the oversaturated entry-level and frontend positions, is it still worth applying for jobs in this sector? It’s an ideal question to ask yourself if you’re based in Europe, since, as we’ve outlined before, software engineers in the United States earn twice as much as those based in Europe — with Switzerland being an exception to this rule, although rent in Zurich is almost 75% higher than in Madrid, for example.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the salary range for software engineers at FAANG companies and beyond. It is worth noting that most of these salaries belong to the United States, even though we’ve converted them into euros.
Realistic software engineering salaries →
Software Engineer Salaries at Facebook, also known as Meta
For a software engineer, the median US Meta total compensation, as of 2024, is €294,740 which is around €141 per hour. In Germany, the average total compensation is €266,700, around €128 per hour.
According to industry reports, a software engineer with one year of experience at Meta earns an average base salary of approximately €127,800 in the US and €82,800 in Germany, while a senior software engineer at Meta can earn up to €235,200 in the US and €154,300 in Germany. These figures do not consider bonuses, stock options, or other benefits.
What’s more different sources claim, almost without a blink or shudder, that you can earn more than 800 grand yearly (almost a million dollars) working at Meta. However, most reports are from before the layoff storm shook the industry, and might belong to more festive periods.
Actually, the average Meta software engineer's salary has been pushed down a little bit. At the beginning of 2023, the average for a junior dev was approximately €135,590, not €127,800, while a senior was earning €250,860, not €235,200. Massive layoffs, oversaturated job positions, and a rise in interest rates are just some reasons.
Other sources estimate that Meta offers an average annual bonus of approximately €16,300 in the US and €6,000 in Germany and an average stock grant of approximately €36,190 in the US and €39,700 in Germany just for junior software engineer positions.
Previous reports of Meta compensation in Western Europe outlined that, out of total yearly compensation of €216,000 for software engineers, almost half belonged to the salary. This makes Meta one of the best-paying tech companies in Germany, at least for software developers.
Software Engineer Salaries at Apple
For a software engineer, as of 2024, the median US Apple total compensation is €275,680, which is around €132 per hour. In Germany, the average total compensation is €144,690, around €70 per hour.
According to industry insights, an entry-level software engineer at Apple in the US can earn an average base salary of approximately €120,000 (other sources point out that it can be between €105,000 – €175,000) and a senior software engineer earns €185,000. In Germany, a senior earns in average €103,500. Apple employees can also opt to invest up to 10% of their salary into Apple stocks twice a year, and receive a 15% discount on such stocks. Certain online outlets also claim employees get a 25% discount on Apple products.
Apple offers its employees several benefits, such as tuition bonuses, financial education, wellness retreats, and maternity leave. However, certain online users once claimed that the most significant benefit was skipping the day-long queues at retail stores.
In a 2021 press release, the company called Munich “Apple’s largest engineering hub in Europe,” signalling that nearly 1,500 engineers from 40 countries were working in various areas, including software. They also have offices in Berlin and claim to employ 4,000 people nationwide. However, things have changed significantly. In 2024, a German average ICT3 level software engineer salary is not even €100K. This reveals a wide gap with American salaries, which start at €120,000. There are plenty of other factors to consider when taking a job in either place, though, like Germany’s more restorative work-life balance.
Software Engineer Salaries at Amazon
For a software engineer, the median US Amazon total compensation, as of 2024, is €243,510 which is around €116 per hour. In Germany, the average total compensation is €95,620, around €45 per hour.
You might best remember Amazon for those drunken purchases. The popular bookselling platform also owns numerous subsidiaries like AWS, Whole Foods, Twitch, Audible, IMDb… and so much more. This means there are plenty of projects to work on as a software engineer, especially as Whole Foods, a fresh produce retailer with a mom-and-pop store slant, has lately equipped some stores with more gadgets than Iron Man’s suit. Industry reports point out that an entry-level software engineer at Amazon in the US can earn an average base salary of approximately €126,500, while a senior one can earn a salary ranging from €196,000 — plus a €195,000 bonus. On the other continent, a junior German dev earns on average €71,300 and a senior dev €121,800. It’s important to note, again, that these figures reflect base salary only and do not consider bonuses, stock options, or other benefits.
Amazon has its program known as the Amazon RSU (Restricted Stock Unit), which grants employees a certain number of shares over time depending on their position and performance. In a previous investigation, we seemed to uncover that the RSUs, which consist, in a nutshell, of equity, render Amazon one of the best-paying tech companies in Europe.
So, if you would like to join this FAANG member, get your JavaScript frameworks sharp and don’t let that purchase fall through!
Software Engineer Salaries at Google
For a software engineer, the median US Google total compensation, as of 2024, is €276,400 which is around €132 per hour. In Germany, the average total compensation is €152,370, around €73 per hour.
Google is one of the most sought-after employers for software engineers. The company offers competitive salaries, generous benefits, and the opportunity of working in a rowboat at their Hamburg offices. According to reports, the average annual salary for a software engineer at Google in Germany is around €86,560 for juniors and €142,610 for seniors. However, this figure does not consider bonuses, stock options, and other compensation components, which level up the whole compensation to around €109,180 and €261,210 respectively.
Google also offers a range of benefits and perks for its software engineers, such as free meals and snacks, retirement plans, medical insurance (a big deal in the United States — reach out to Breaking Bad for evidence of this), parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and a code of conduct with snappy phrases.
Software Engineer Salaries at Netflix
For a software engineer, the median US Netflix total compensation, as of 2024, is €459,460 which is around €217 per hour. In Germany, the average total compensation is €160,000, around €77 per hour.
Netflix is an oddball of sorts within the FAANG group (and it warped our calculations, for sure). The streaming giant does not offer fixed bonuses or stock options to its employees. Instead, it pays them a high base salary that they can decide to allocate as they wish.
According to Levels.fyi, the average annual base salary for a Netflix software engineer is around €195,000, significantly higher than the average base salary for a software engineer in the US.
In 2022, Netflix introduced levels for its software engineers after 25 years of having a single level known simply as “Senior Software Engineer”. This made Netflix the largest tech company to have grown so considerably with just one level, according to observers. At present, in the US, those at the E5 level earn almost €500,000 in total compensation. So, what’s in for engineers above the E5 level? Some data points mention a million dollars in total compensation, with more than half of that being a base salary.
Total compensation (base salary, bonus, stock equity):
How have salaries changed in the last few years?
One of the most intriguing aspects of FAANG software engineer salaries is how they fluctuate over time. Since the company won’t go out in public to say that they are cutting down on salaries, one of the few consistent ways to notice it is by checking aggregators on an annual basis. Reports estimate that the average annual salary for a software engineer at Facebook in 2023 was a 9% increase from 2022, on par with inflation. But things have turned a little cloudy again in 2024. The average senior software engineer salary at Facebook dropped from €250,860 to €235,200 in the last year.
However, not all FAANG companies have increased their software engineer salaries at the same rate in 2022. For instance, Netflix has seen the highest growth in software engineer salaries, with a reported 15% increase from 2022. This could be attributed to Netflix's aggressive expansion into new markets and content production, as well as its unique compensation model that offers high cash salaries and no bonuses or stock options, as well as the aforementioned creation of pay brackets. Also, their pay has stayed the same in 2024.
On the other hand, Apple has seen the lowest growth in software engineer salaries from 2022, with an average of €140,000 in 2023, which is only a 3% increase from 2022. This could be explained by Apple's relatively stable market position and product portfolio. In 2024, its salaries haven’t changed much either.
Another factor that affects FAANG companies' software engineer salaries is the location of the employees. While Silicon Valley remains the financial epicentre of tech trends, FAANG companies have also expanded their presence in other regions and countries, offering competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain local talent. For example, according to Levels.fyi, a senior software engineer at Google in Poland earns an average of €54,370 annually. This is significantly lower than the average salary of a senior software engineer at Google in the US (€163,000), but still higher than that of a senior software developer in India, who earns €40,660 on average.
Keep in mind that many of these conclusions are based on reports that gather otherwise undisclosed medians, averages, or even odd, very high salaries. So, even if they’re accurate, they might not represent a colleague’s situation working at FAANG, for example.
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How to outsmart FAANG and the layoff tide
As the current layoffs unfold, it’s possible that, if you get into FAANG, you might find yourself ousted anytime. Some insiders are claiming Google recently laid off its entire Python team — so, right now, not a single team is untouchable.
In case you’re next in the line, you need to get ready for your next step. Prepare well for the technical interviews that FAANG and anyone else will request from you, because a layoff can mean you now interview at the company across the street. You can use online platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or CodeSignal to practise solving problems and get feedback on your solutions. You can even watch coders who stream to work on the challenges within a community.
Another thing you can do is to bring out your enthusiasm and curiosity for technology, and working on side projects, including open-source repositories, that can help you beef up your resume. The Svelte inventor Rich Harris didn’t want to work at FAANG, as he expressed. Since he was a contributor to the frontend community, he eventually landed a job at Vercel.
On a different note, when the market recovers from its current crisis and job openings start surging again, it’s going to be a very competitive affair. Developers should keep this in mind and start creating alternative means of income in case entering any company, FAANG or not, takes longer than expected.
Finally, you can also consider applying to other tech companies that are not FAANG but still offer great opportunities and challenges for software engineers. For example, you could look into companies like Adobe, whose average senior salary ranges from €254,921 to €415,754.
Find a job as a software developer in Europe, FAANG and elsewhere
FAANG and the United States salaries may seem attractive, but it's important to remember there are opportunities beyond FAANG. There’s a wealth of tech companies offering competitive compensation and groundbreaking work. Don't limit your options; explore these opportunities as well.
If you want to work as a developer, you can use our platform. At WeAreDevelopers, we match the best developer talent in Europe with the best European companies. Our community keeps getting bigger and we have jobs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, and other places. Head to our job board and try your luck.
