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Home / Compensation / Apple / Software Engineer
Total compensation for a Apple Software Engineer ranges from about $165K at the entry level to $1.4M+ at the most senior bands, with a typical mid-level package around $395K. Below is the full breakdown by level - base salary, annual equity, and bonus - from public-source data.
Public-source estimates (Beta). Last updated 2026-05. Figures are annualized USD.
| Level | Years | Base (p50) | Equity/yr (p50) | Bonus (p50) | Total (p25-p90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICT2Software Engineer (New Grad) | 0-2 YOE | $145K | $35K | $15K | $165K - $255K |
| ICT3Software Engineer | 2-5 YOE | $185K | $60K | $25K | $220K - $380K |
| ICT4Senior Software Engineer | 5-9 YOE | $225K | $130K | $40K | $320K - $590K |
| ICT5Staff Software Engineer | 8-14 YOE | $280K | $230K | $65K | $460K - $920K |
| ICT6Principal / Distinguished Software Engineer | 13+ YOE | $325K | $410K | $90K | $640K - $1.4M |
Entry-level. Apple's new-grad equity is below FAANG comparables; cash bonus is paid annually at fiscal year-end. Sign-on bonus is typical $20-50K.
Mid-level. Most-common Apple SWE level for external hires. Comparable to Google L4 / Meta E4.
Senior IC. Negotiation lift is meaningful here; default offers cluster at p25-p50, leverage gets you to p75+.
Staff IC. Equity dominates. Apple's stock is publicly traded; refresh grants are typical at 1-2 years tenure.
Principal IC. Apple uses ICT6 sparingly; the title 'Distinguished' is rarer than at peers. External hires uncommon.
6 rounds. 5 of them can be practised here - each one below links the rep that trains it.
Recruiter screen
30 minutes. Background, level calibration (ICT3, ICT4, ICT5), team alignment - though Apple often keeps the specific team vague until later in the process.
Technical phone screen
45-60 minutes with an engineer. One coding problem (Medium difficulty) plus team-specific knowledge probing if you've been matched to a team.
Free rep: Coding challenges with a real sandbox →Onsite: Coding round 1
45-60 minutes. Algorithmic problem with emphasis on clean code and edge case handling. Apple interviewers often value working code with explicit tradeoffs over the cleverest solution.
Free rep: Coding challenges with a real sandbox →Onsite: Coding round 2
45-60 minutes. Second coding round, often more applied or domain-specific based on the team. May involve OOD, debugging, or extending an existing system.
Free rep: Coding challenges with a real sandbox →Onsite: Domain depth
45-60 minutes. Team-specific deep dive. Kernel: virtual memory, scheduling, locks. Graphics: GPU pipelines, shaders, Metal. iOS frameworks: Swift internals, Objective-C runtime, memory management. Services: distributed systems for the specific service area.
Free rep: What this round looks for →Onsite: Manager / behavioral
45-60 minutes. Manager round with role-fit, team-fit, and behavioral framing. Lighter than Amazon's LP round but specific - Apple values engineers who collaborate well in small high-context teams and who care about craft.
Free rep: STAR answers: Ownership (Amazon Leadership Principle) →The full Apple prep pack → what they value, topic emphasis, and the questions candidates ask.
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