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Home / Compensation / Tesla / ML Engineer
Total compensation for a Tesla ML Engineer ranges from about $205K at the entry level to $915K+ at the most senior bands, with a typical mid-level package around $415K. Below is the full breakdown by level - base salary, annual equity, and bonus - from public-source data.
Public-source estimates (Beta). Last updated 2026-06. Figures are annualized USD.
| Level | Years | Base (p50) | Equity/yr (p50) | Bonus (p50) | Total (p25-p90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P2ML Engineer II | 2-5 YOE | $158K | $87K | - | $205K - $355K |
| P3Senior ML Engineer | 4-8 YOE | $180K | $140K | - | $260K - $480K |
| P4Staff ML Engineer | 7-12 YOE | $200K | $215K | - | $335K - $660K |
| P5Senior Staff ML Engineer | 10+ YOE | $222K | $328K | - | $435K - $915K |
Mid-level ML. Perception, planning, and data-engine roles dominate hiring.
Senior ML IC. Strong CUDA / inference-optimization candidates pull the top band.
Staff ML IC. Frontier-lab competition (OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI) forces above-band counters for proven Autopilot talent.
Senior staff ML. Small population, individually negotiated grants.
Autopilot, FSD, Optimus, and Dojo hire ML engineers at scale - this is Tesla's premium engineering track, running 15-20% above the SWE band at the same level. No cash bonus; base + TSLA equity.
The offer calculator compares your current and target offers 4 years out - vesting, refresh grants, and federal + state + FICA tax - so you negotiate with real take-home numbers.
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