2025 Tech Salary Raise Benchmarks by Role
2025 tech role pay raise benchmarks
| Role | 2025 Avg. Raise | Top Quartile |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer (SWE) | 4-6% | 8-12% |
| Senior SWE / Staff Engineer | 5-8% | 10-15% |
| AI/ML Engineer | 8-15% | 15-25% |
| Data Scientist | 5-8% | 8-12% |
| DevOps / Site Reliability Engineer | 5-8% | 9-13% |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | 7-12% | 12-18% |
| Product Manager (technical) | 4-7% | 8-12% |
| UX/UI Designer | 3-5% | 6-9% |
| QA / Test Engineer | 3-5% | 5-8% |
| Engineering Manager | 5-8% | 10-15% |
📈AI Engineer Premium in 2025
AI and machine learning engineers continue to command the highest raise premiums in tech — 8-15% average, with top performers at major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind) receiving 20-40% increases and equity refreshes worth multiples of base salary.
Big Tech vs. Startup vs. Mid-Market: Raise Structures
Tech pay raise structures by company type
| Company Type | Base Raise Avg. | Equity Component | Total Comp Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAANG / Large Tech | 3-5% | Large RSU refreshes | 8-15% total comp |
| Series B-C Startup | 5-10% | Options, may be underwater | Variable |
| Pre-IPO company | 4-8% | High equity potential | Highly variable |
| Mid-market tech ($100M-$1B) | 4-7% | Modest RSUs | 5-10% total comp |
| Traditional enterprise (IT dept) | 3-4.5% | Limited or none | 3-4.5% total |
How to Negotiate a Tech Raise in 2025
- Use Levels.fyi for the most accurate role and level-specific compensation data — critical for engineering roles
- Understand the entire comp stack: base, RSU/options, bonus, signing, benefits
- In big tech, RSU refresh size often matters more than base raise — negotiate both simultaneously
- AI and cloud skills command explicit premiums — document and communicate any relevant certifications or contributions
- Reference internal equity: if colleagues at your level earn more for the same work, this is an equity issue
- In 2025 layoff-environment companies, emphasize institutional knowledge and retention risk
Calculate Your Tech Salary Raise
Enter your current base salary and target raise to see exactly what a competitive tech compensation increase looks like.