Apple Employee Salaries & Compensation 2025-2026

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): Apple software engineer total compensation 2025-2026 by level (Levels.fyi self-reported, Cupertino baseline): ICT2/L2 (entry, 0-2 yrs): $145,000-$185,000 TC ($120-150k base + $5-25k stock + $10-15k bonus). ICT3/L3 (mid, 2-5 yrs): $185,000-$245,000 TC ($150-185k base + $20-50k stock + $15-25k bonus). ICT4/L4 (senior, 5-8 yrs): $245,000-$365,000 TC ($175-225k base + $50-130k stock + $20-35k bonus). ICT5/L5 (staff, 8+ yrs): $365,000-$485,000 TC ($210-260k base + $130-210k stock + $25-50k bonus). ICT6/L6 (principal, 12+ yrs): $485,000-$715,000+ TC. Apple's RSU vesting: 4-year, 25% cliff at year 1, then quarterly. Apple stock has appreciated significantly since 2020: RSUs granted in 2022 worth 40-60% more than face value at grant.

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): L4 software engineer total comp comparison 2026 (mid-level, Cupertino-equivalent): Apple ICT4: $290,000 median. Google L5: $310,000 median. Meta E5: $330,000 median (most aggressive). Amazon L6: $300,000 median. Netflix Senior: $475,000 (highest base, no RSU strategy). Microsoft Senior 64: $245,000 (lower than peers). Stripe IC4: $325,000. Apple historically pays 5-10% LESS than Google/Meta on TC for senior roles, but compensates with: (1) Strong stock appreciation 2020-2025 (Apple stock 2-3x in 5 yrs). (2) Lower performance variance (Apple stable team structure). (3) Larger employee discounts on Apple products. (4) Better health benefits (Apple known for excellent healthcare). (5) Cupertino HQ campus/perks. Apple loses to Meta/Google for top-talent recruiting at L6+ levels but often wins for stability-focused engineers and design talent.

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): Apple design + PM compensation 2025-2026: Designer ICT2 $135,000-$165,000 TC. ICT3 $165,000-$215,000. ICT4 (senior) $215,000-$310,000. ICT5 (staff) $310,000-$465,000. ICT6 (principal) $465,000-$685,000+. Apple Industrial Design (Jony Ive legacy team): premium pay 10-15% above standard design ladder. Apple Human Interface Design: standard design ladder. Apple Product Designer (cross-functional): between standard and industrial. Product Manager: ICT3 $195,000-$255,000, ICT4 $255,000-$340,000, ICT5 $340,000-$485,000, ICT6 $485,000-$685,000+. PM at Apple is technical (often eng background expected). Apple Marketing Manager: $180,000-$385,000 by level (often ICT2-ICT4). Compensation generally 5-15% below FAANG peers but stronger employee retention.

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): Apple Retail Specialist (sales floor): $24-$32/hour 2025-2026 (varies by location, $50,000-$66,500 annualized full-time). Plus benefits, profit-sharing, employee discount. Apple Retail Genius: $26-$36/hour ($54,000-$75,000 annualized). Apple Store Manager: $55,000-$95,000 base + bonus + RSUs. Senior Manager: $90,000-$165,000. AppleCare Advisor (call center): $20-$28/hour ($42,000-$58,500). Senior Advisor: $25-$32/hour ($52,000-$66,500). AppleCare At-Home (remote): same pay band, work from home. Apple retail benefits include: comprehensive medical, 401(k) with 6% match, employee discount $250-500/year on products, profit-sharing $1,500-$3,500/year typical, stock purchase plan. Strong unionization push 2022-2025 succeeded at multiple Apple Stores in Maryland, Oklahoma: now bargaining for higher pay.

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): Apple RSU grant pattern 2025-2026 (initial 4-year grant on hire): Software Engineer ICT3: ~$80,000-$200,000 over 4 years, vesting 25% Year 1 cliff, then quarterly thereafter. ICT4: $200,000-$520,000 over 4 years. ICT5: $520,000-$840,000 over 4 years. ICT6: $840,000-$1.4M over 4 years. Plus annual refresher grants: ICT3 ~$30-80k/year, ICT4 ~$80-200k/year, ICT5 ~$200-400k/year. Total stock vesting per year for established ICT4 (2-3 years in) often equals 30-50% of total comp. Apple stock has appreciated 2-3x 2020-2025: RSUs from earlier grants now worth significantly more than at-grant value. Performance Stock Units (PSUs) for ICT5+ tied to TSR (Total Shareholder Return) vs S&P 500: can multiply by 0.5x to 2.0x at vest. Apple's ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan) offers 15% discount on stock with 6-month lookback: effectively risk-free additional 15-20% return.

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): Apple location-based pay 2026 (% of Cupertino baseline for same level): Cupertino HQ: 100% (baseline). Austin TX (engineering, supply chain): 88-92% (slight COL adjustment, no state tax offsets some). New York NY (Brand Marketing, Apple Music): 100-105% (NYC premium). London UK: 65-75% (lower European base). Munich Germany: 60-70%. Hyderabad India: 30-40% (massive COL adjustment). Tel Aviv Israel: 80-90%. Seattle WA: 95-100% (no state tax). Apple has dramatically expanded engineering presence outside Cupertino post-2020: Austin, Seattle, Boulder, San Diego, NYC. Remote work limited at Apple (mostly hybrid 3 days office post-2022 mandate). Highest-paying Apple locations: Cupertino, NYC, San Diego (chip design AI). Lowest: Cork Ireland, Hyderabad, Bangalore.

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): Apple total comp benefits 2026 (benefits add ~$30,000-$60,000 value/year on top of salary): (1) Medical/dental/vision: among best in tech, Apple covers ~95% of employee premium, 90% of family. (2) 401(k) match: 100% match up to 6% of salary (was capped at 5% in earlier years). (3) Employee Stock Purchase Plan: 15% discount, 6-month lookback. (4) Apple product discount: 25% off ($1k+ discount on Mac/iPhone/iPad annually). (5) Adoption + fertility benefits: $25,000+ for adoption, IVF coverage. (6) Parental leave: 16 weeks fully paid (mothers + fathers). (7) Wellness $1,500/year stipend. (8) Education reimbursement up to $5,000/year. (9) Commuter benefits: shuttle, transit subsidy. (10) Free meals on Cupertino campus. (11) Sabbatical at 5/10/15 year service tiers (paid time off). Apple's Holistic Care: in-house medical centers at Cupertino + Austin save employees significant healthcare cost.

The BLS OEWS May 2025 national median annual wage is $135,980 for Software Developers (all employers, all locations), $120,630 for Electrical Engineers, $166,790 for Marketing Managers, $104,000 for Web and Digital Interface Designers and $83,910 for Commercial and Industrial Designers. Against those medians, the reported Apple ICT2 base range ($120,000-$150,000) sits around the national software developer median, while reported ICT4 and above base pay ($175,000+) is well above it. The Apple figures are self-reported, Cupertino-weighted and include stock; the BLS medians are employer-reported cash wages for the whole country, so the comparison is directional only.

No. Apple does not publish company-wide pay bands. Every Apple-specific figure here is self-reported employee data from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind as compiled in April 2026, and has not been verified by Salario or Apple. The most reliable primary source for a specific role is the salary range in Apple's own job posting, which pay-transparency laws require in states such as California, Washington, New York and Colorado. The only independently verified numbers on this page are the BLS OEWS May 2025 occupational medians.

Reported Apple Retail Specialist pay of $24-$32 per hour is above the BLS OEWS May 2025 national median hourly wage for all occupations ($24.51) and above the $23.33 median for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers ($48,520 a year). BLS does not publish a company-level figure for Apple, and the Apple range is self-reported, so treat the comparison as approximate.

As reported in self-reported Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Blind data compiled in April 2026 (not verified by Salario or Apple): Apple compensation trends 2025-2026: (1) Base salaries up 4-6% YoY (above-inflation merit increases). (2) RSU grants up 8-12% for senior+ (Apple bidding to retain post-COVID talent). (3) Mid-level (ICT3) saw biggest absolute dollar increases: $15-25k annualized improvements. (4) Performance bonuses standardized at 8-10% target (was variable previously). (5) Apple slowed hiring 2024 vs 2022-2023: selectivity higher. (6) AI/ML engineers seeing 20-30% premium over standard ICT5 (Apple competing for AI talent vs Google, OpenAI). (7) Chip designers (silicon engineering) seeing 25-40% premium since A17 Bionic / M3 chip lines launched. Apple compensation Glassdoor reviews 2025-2026: rated 4.2/5 (compared to Google 4.4, Meta 4.3, Amazon 3.7). Apple historically less aggressive on compensation matching but stable through layoff cycles.