ByteDance salaries by job title (2026)
ByteDance filed 542 certified H-1B applications for full-time roles in FY2026 Q1–Q3 (decisions Oct 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026). The median base salary is $240,000, and the middle half of offers fall between $190,000 and $307,020.
ByteDance base salary by job title
| Job title | Median base | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $196,700 | $166,800 – $255,000 | 79 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $218,038 | $156,060 – $300,000 | 28 |
| Research Scientist | $340,000 | $280,100 – $390,800 | 27 |
| Product Manager | $268,000 | $219,461 – $286,000 | 13 |
| Backend Software Engineer | $200,000 | $176,000 – $243,000 | 9 |
| Site Reliability Engineer - Data Infrastructure | $219,769 | $180,500 – $269,564 | 9 |
| Site Reliability Engineer | $175,200 | $159,930 – $192,500 | 8 |
| Engineering Manager | $377,609 | $339,075 – $414,092 | 6 |
| Software Development Engineer | $198,000 | $182,250 – $254,250 | 6 |
| Software Engineer - Senior | $264,514 | $255,878 – $291,128 | 6 |
| Solutions Engineer, Ads | $192,500 | $165,000 – $218,500 | 6 |
| Product Manager - Lead | $311,000 | $308,400 – $350,330 | 5 |
| Senior Machine Learning Engineer | $315,000 | $312,000 – $320,000 | 5 |
By location
| Worksite | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $250,000 | 396 |
| Bellevue, WA | $240,000 | 113 |
| New York, NY | $205,000 | 17 |
| Culver City, CA | $130,000 | 10 |
Take-home pay
Most of ByteDance's filings are for jobs in California. There, the median base of $240,000 leaves about $155,422 a year, or $12,952 a month, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and California taxes for a single filer with no 401(k) contributions. For Software Engineer ($196,700), it is about $129,862 a year. Use the California paycheck calculator to add a 401(k), a spouse or children.
Experience levels
Each filing names the prevailing-wage level the job was matched to, from entry level (I) to fully competent (IV).
| Wage level | Share of filings |
|---|---|
| I: Entry level | 34% |
| II: Qualified | 28% |
| III: Experienced | 16% |
| IV: Fully competent | 22% |
By occupation
| Occupation | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $222,500 | 240 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $310,000 | 81 |
| Data Scientists | $273,000 | 63 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $383,000 | 30 |
| Information Technology Project Managers | $235,000 | 16 |
| Marketing Managers | $271,500 | 14 |
About this data
- Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification, LCA disclosure data for FY2026 Q1–Q3 (decisions Oct 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026). Only certified H-1B applications for full-time positions are counted (384,130 filings).
- Each figure is the base wage the employer stated on the application, converted to a yearly amount. Bonuses, stock (RSUs) and benefits are not included, so total pay at large tech firms is usually much higher.
- An application is filed before a worker starts and can cover a range of pay; we use the lower end of that range. Not every application leads to a hire.
- Median: half of filings are above, half below. Middle 50%: the range between the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary at ByteDance?
The median base salary in ByteDance's 542 certified H-1B filings is $240,000 a year, and the middle half fall between $190,000 and $307,020. Bonuses and stock are extra.
How much does a Software Engineer at ByteDance make?
The median base salary for Software Engineer is $196,700 across 79 filings (middle 50%: $166,800 – $255,000).
Where does ByteDance pay the most?
Among locations with at least five filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary at $250,000.
What is $240,000 after tax in California?
About $155,422 a year ($12,952 a month) for a single filer after federal, Social Security, Medicare and California taxes.