Almost every big digital business, including Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (FAANG), uses a leveling scheme to unify wage bands across job types that meet a set of skills and duties. So, for example, a Facebook Entry Level Software Engineer commences at E3 and can uplevel to E8 or M2 (Software Engineering Manager Equivalent), based on his professional knowledge and skill set.

A system like this guarantees that workers are compensated fairly and consistently.

Some of the criteria that dictate grade levels at prominent tech companies include:

• Job duties
• Scope of impact
• Background education
• Decision-making skill
• Career advancement expectations

Even while the specific leveling mechanism varies for every tech company, the end consequence is that higher-level Software Engineers demand higher compensation and have more work responsibilities. Your professional trajectory is determined by where you fall on the spectrum.

For example, at Facebook, engineers’ and managers’ job levels are determined mainly by their effect rather than the number of individuals they supervise or the quantity of experience they bring to the position.

As one of the most well-known tech companies globally, Facebook hires some of the most innovative and competent individuals and pays them well. Salary bands at all levels consist of base pay, stock options, and bonuses.

Furthermore, Facebook Software Engineers are eligible for various perks, including insurance, health, housing, financial, and family expenditures. Glassdoor gives their perks package a 4.7/5 rating.

Employees at Facebook express more significant satisfaction levels in their present employment and substantial personal advancement. For example, a Facebook Senior Software Engineer earns the most in Silicon Valley, with a typical $190,772 per year.

So, what precisely are Facebook’s several levels? Let’s have a look!

Facebook’s Software Engineer Career Path

Levels of Facebook Software Engineers are determined by the duties of a work function and the influence that their technical experience and skillsets have. It guarantees that people receive equal pay even at entry-level and have plenty of possibilities to further their careers.

Unlike Google and Amazon, Software Engineers are “software engineers” at various levels rather than principals, seniors, Distinguished, fellows, etc.

The six degrees of software engineering at Facebook are as follows.

Level I Software Engineer (E3)

Average Annual Base Salary: $121,536

Under little supervision, E3 Software Engineers are expected to create production code and test it. Therefore, software testing, source control, and code review technologies should be familiar. Candidates for internships often begin at Level 1. Their superiors and limited decision-making capacity closely supervise them.

At Facebook, Software Engineers (SWE) are often recent college graduates or workers with less than two years of experience. Business stakeholders and technical project managers often collaborate to understand program needs. For example, the technical project manager could calculate what resources they’ll need, how long it’ll take, and how many employees they’ll need for development and testing.

Level II Software Engineer (E4)

Average Annual Base Salary: $159,132

Level II SWEs must understand software application design basics. They are accountable for minor design choices and work independently to comprehend and implement system applications. At this level, processes often influence decision-making.

E4 SWEs must have two to four years of experience.

Level III Software Engineer (E5)

Average Annual Base Salary: $192,688

Level III SWEs are also entry-level Software Engineering Managers at Facebook. As a result, their work responsibilities include a mix of technical and managerial obligations. To act as a technical architect, they must have extensive domain knowledge, problem-solving skills, and an understanding system design and architecture.

As Software Engineering Managers, they are responsible for educating and coaching junior-level Software Engineers to achieve technical excellence. In addition, they undertake timely performance reviews and ensure appropriate resource allocation.

SWEs have significant decision-making duties and participation in the recruiting, training, and mentoring of lower-level Software Engineers at E5. They also have budgeting and operational planning duties and people management skills to supervise younger employees.

Level III SWEs must have at least five years of engineering experience and knowledge of online and mobile development technologies and relational databases, such as PHP, JavaScript, CSS, XHTML, and SQL.

Level IV Software Engineer (E6)

Average Annual Base Salary: $218,616 to $241,090

Level IV SWEs at Facebook oversee substantially bigger teams of Software Engineers while working independently, with duties comparable to staff/principal engineers at organizations like Google. Facebook also employs M1 Software Engineer Managers as E6 SWEs.

They help teams collaborate and attract and employ new Software Engineers to help them achieve their objectives. They must recognize individual strengths and promote development by assisting people in developing their skill sets and realizing their full potential.

E6 Software Engineers at Facebook are among the highest-paid employees, with base pay 45% more than the national average for engineers at similar ranks.

Years of experience become less critical after E5. SWEs with less than five years’ experience is unusual.

Level V Software Engineer (E7)

Average Annual Base Salary $265,000

At Facebook, E7 SWEs and M2 Software Engineer Managers guide cross-functional teams via technical and non-technical strategic planning. In addition, they must perform market research and remain current on current trends to push best engineering practices and increase revenue. Facebook’s “newsfeed ranking” or mobile ads functionality are two examples.

According to the Levels.fyi 2020 study on Software Engineer remuneration, Facebook is the highest-paying company for Principal Engineers or level 5 SWEs, as they are known at most Silicon Valley companies.

Level VI Software Engineer (E8)

Average Annual Base Salary $298,000

E8 Software Engineers are forward-thinking technical visionaries that strive for large-scale, competitive company development. E8 is the equivalent of a Director (D1), with responsibilities that include enhancing company culture, developing policies, starting large-scale initiatives, and adopting emerging technical methods. Consider engineers at the director level, such as Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat, who pioneered MapReduce and BigTable and are regarded as Google’s top developers.

Senior Software Engineers (E5 and above) at Facebook are responsible for developing breakthrough systems, infrastructure, and products that connect billions of people and influence the company’s future.

According to Levels.fyi, an E8 software engineer at Facebook earns an average of $1,230,000 per year, including $687,250 in stock options and a $244,500 bonus.

How Facebook’s Leveling Systems Work

The following two elements influence Facebook’s leveling structure:

 Scope of Impact

Aside from the fundamentally different skills and certifications required at each level, the SWE career ladder at Facebook depends primarily on the influence engineers make daily and the extent of their duties.

Because of the differences in the job categories, Facebook maintains a distinct career structure and pay scale for managers. If you like working with people, you can pursue a fulfilling career in management while maintaining your technical interests. A typical Facebook Software Engineering Manager can make anywhere from $165,352 to $294,528 per year, based on their seniority, employment location, and skillsets.

To develop in your job, you don’t have to go into management.

According to Don S., a 20-year Facebook Software Engineer Manager, “Many of my friends have dabbled with management before returning to engineering, which Facebook enthusiastically encourages. Having the freedom to select your route is a healthier method to improve your skills. It’s not like working at a bank; instead, you’re judged on your job, the extent of your responsibilities, and the actual effect of your daily tasks.”

Every management must pass the coding bar and have the same technical skills and work experience as the comparable SWEs on the engineering track.

Here’s how focusing on autonomy, creativity, and impact at Facebook can help you produce creative solutions and advance:

Strive for Autonomy

A satisfying career path at Facebook requires individuals to seek new challenges and exciting possibilities. However, software Engineers can achieve their full potential and contribute significantly to next-generation technologies if they offer the needed resources and support.

Look for Impact Possibilities

Managers and engineers in leadership positions at Facebook are recognized for fostering development and change decisions. As you advance in your career, mentoring becomes an essential element of your job description, allowing you to broaden your effect on project success.

Globalize Your Search for Work

Relocating to different places provides you with new possibilities for development and gives you diverse global views. In addition, working with cross-functional teams exposes you to various cultures and helps you develop innovative problem-solving and teamwork skills.

Interview Performance 

The goal of Facebook interviews is to uncover forward-thinking, problem-solving people who can contribute to the company’s future. Because you are allocated a job level during your onsite interview, this choice is based primarily on your performance.

“It’s known as the grading interview because that’s when they evaluate you, and they’ll move you up or down in seniority level,” according to a Facebook Software Engineer.

At Facebook, most software developers are in the L3 to L5 range. Few engineers go to higher positions, and fewer are recruited from outside above these levels. As a result, SWEs need a unique combination of skills and years of industry experience to advance at Facebook.

At Facebook, technical interviews are focused on data structures, algorithms, and system architecture. Interviews assess your knowledge and skills in these areas relevant to your daily tasks.

Here’s how to get a better job and earn more money:

Ace the Interview

A candidate must exceed his competition and colleagues in each Facebook Software Engineer interview stage to have a greater chance of winning the job. Gayle McDowell, the author of Cracking the Coding Interview, says Facebook Software Engineer interviews are relative. For example, a Facebook entry-level Software Engineer will be judged against other applicants. So, your objective should be to stand out and get an edge over other candidates.

Mock interviews and coding boot camps should improve your interview skills regardless of the level you are applying for. It is essential since Facebook’s interview process is more concerned with distributed systems and creating algorithms than domain expertise.

Prepare responses to a wide variety of technical and behavioral inquiries. Take some time before your interview to think about your professional objectives and how Facebook can help you achieve them. It will help you structure your replies with sincerity and increase credibility when tackling goal-oriented inquiries.

Before the interview, please research the company and its culture. It may result in better satisfaction levels and speedier promotions in the long term.

Salary Negotiations

Your wage is determined by your negotiation skills determined by your interview performance. “There is some possibility of negotiating overall salary based on your interview performance,” a Facebook software developer said. You’ll be better equipped to bargain if you do well.”

If you don’t meet or surpass expectations, you won’t use your skills to earn more money.

How to Succeed as a Facebook Software Engineer

Even without equity compensation, newly graduated software engineers sometimes expect six-figure wages. When top companies like Facebook, Apple, Google, Amazon, and Netflix hire, senior code engineers may make millions of dollars each year.

With an average yearly salary boost of $60k for software developers, Interview Kickstart has successfully up-leveled over 6,000 engineers since 2014. 

You can ace your following interview with unrestricted access to over 50 technical leads, recruiting managers, coaches, and interviewers from FAANG and other top tech businesses, individual feedback sessions, seminars, mockups, interviews, and workshops. Here’s an example of a typical master lesson at Interview Kickstart.

• Fifteen difficult simulated interviews with FAANG recruiting supervisors
• Practicing behavioral questions in 1:1 sessions
• Help with a professional résumé and LinkedIn profile to attract tier-1 businesses.
• Personalized salary negotiation training
• Access to a vast alumni network for advice and assistance

To learn more about why Interview Kickstart is the Gold Standard for Technical Interview Prep, sign up for a FREE webinar with one of the company’s founders.