Nvidia’s explosive growth during the AI boom has transformed compensation for many of its employees, turning long-time contributors into millionaires despite the company’s relatively small workforce of just 36,000 people as of early 2025. While Nvidia doesn’t publicly disclose salary data, insights into pay levels come from H-1B visa filings submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor—documents that reveal base salaries for sponsored foreign workers. These figures, however, do not include equity, bonuses, or other components of total compensation, which can significantly boost overall earnings. Nvidia received around 1,900 certified H-1B applications in fiscal 2025, with the most common roles including software engineers, research scientists, and product managers. The data shows wide pay ranges depending on experience and specialization. Software engineers at Nvidia earn between $92,000 and $425,500 in base pay, with senior roles commanding higher salaries. Specialized positions such as ASIC Engineers earn $163,925 to $368,000, while DevOps Engineers make $140,000 to $270,250. Hardware and mixed-signal design engineers also fall within high ranges, with salaries from $92,000 to $368,000. Engineering managers are among the highest-paid, with base salaries ranging from $203,879 to $391,000. Systems software managers earn up to $425,500, and senior roles like Senior Systems Software Engineers can reach $356,500. Research scientists at Nvidia earn between $104,000 and $431,250, reflecting the company’s heavy investment in foundational AI and chip research. Product and program managers are also well-compensated, with product managers earning $131,029 to $379,500 and program managers from $75,462 to $368,000. Architects and senior technical leaders earn competitively, with base pay from $104,000 to $425,500 for Architects, and up to $425,500 for Architecture Managers. Senior Architects earn between $150,821 and $356,500. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has personally overseen compensation decisions, stating on the “All-In” podcast that he reviews every employee’s pay package annually. He also claimed to have created more billionaires on his management team than any other CEO in the world. However, this wealth is concentrated among early employees—those who joined before the AI boom—leading to noticeable pay disparities between long-tenured staff and newer hires, a topic openly discussed within the company. While Big Tech salaries have generally risen across the board—with Google, Meta, and Microsoft offering similar compensation—Nvidia’s unique position at the forefront of AI hardware innovation has driven exceptional pay and equity gains for those who’ve been with the company for years. The company has maintained its commitment to sponsoring H-1B visas, covering all associated fees, even amid shifting immigration policies. Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.