Considering Your First Job at Tesla? Here’s How Much You’ll Get Paid
Written by
David Nadelle
Edited by
Travis Woods
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Elon Musk’s Tesla has been floundering over the past year, with a recent 29% share drop in the first quarter of 2024. This was the car company’s worst share standing since the end of 2022, and its third worst quarter on record, according to CNBC.
Stakeholders did receive some good news this week: shares jumped after the company received approval to move forward with its full self-driving (FSD) software technology in its China-built EVs after Musk met with China’s Premier Li Qiang.
According to Macrotrends, Tesla’s total number of employees in 2023 was 140,473, a 9.87% increase from 2022. While we can only speculate what’s like to work directly for Musk, we at least know he is committed to growing Tesla and hopefully its workforce.
However, the company recently announced it’s laying off more than 10% of its global workforce to “be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle,” said Musk. In 2022, Tesla laid off 10% of salaried employees Back in 2018, the company laid off 9% of its workforce.
Still, Tesla’s site has job openings listed and it’s always looking for new blood. But what you can expect to get paid working for Tesla?
How Much Can You Make Working at Tesla?
Boasting a comprehensive benefits package and competitive starting wages, Tesla’s Impact page also highlights shareholder options and unique perks, including free EV charging and discounted accessories and upgrades for workers’ Teslas free shuttles, monthly carpool subsidies and a “Bike to Work Earning Program.”
According to 1,476 Indeed data points collected in the past 36 months, the average Tesla Recycling Worker makes approximately $20.05 per hour, whereas a Senior CNC Machinist makes an average of $43.93 per hour. “The average Tesla salary ranges from approximately $48,495 per year for Production Associate to $126,829 per year for Production Manager,” said the employment marketplace for job seekers and employers.
Salary documents seen by Business Insider claim that wages at Tesla increased wages effective Jan. 8, 2024. Tesla pays its factory workers $22 to $39 per hour, based on a tiered salary system. However, wages vary depending on where you work due to cost of living.
“Tesla divides its factory workers into seven levels, while leads are divided into two levels,” said Business Insider. “For example, Level 1 workers at the Fremont factory receive $25.25 an hour under the new compensation structure, and Level 7 workers are paid $35.50. Meanwhile, Level 1 workers in the lowest-paying regions (Austin, Texas, and Sparks, Nevada) are eligible for $22 an hour.”
The Street reported higher salaries based on 734 records of Tesla hires submitted to the Labor Department in 2023. According to the site, the minimum salary for this data set was $66,000 and the maximum $262,500. The average of all Tesla salaries was reported to be $144,049 and the median salary $140,000.
Here are the salaries, or salary ranges, of 19 different job titles at Tesla, collected from information received by the Labor Department, per The Street.
- Associate CAD engineer – $66,000
- Associate retail design planner -$80,000
- Associate process engineer – $83,000 to $90,000
- Associate packaging engineer – $85,000
- Associate industrial engineer – $87,000
- Process engineer – $90,000 to $120,000
- Industrial engineer – $90,000 to 106,605
- Packaging engineer – $100,000 to $104,000
- Data engineer – $104,030 to $126,277
- Associate data engineer – $104,350
- Senior industrial engineer – $108,150 to 142,979
- Senior process engineer -$108,338 to $166,000
- Senior data engineer – $128,844 to 170,000
- Senior software engineer – $153,090 to 192,681
- Manager, process engineering – $158,500 to $190,800
- Staff data engineer – $162,713 to 207,675
- Manager, software engineering – $205,733 to $209,405
- Senior manager, software engineering -$209,405 to $235,000
- Director, software engineering – $262,500
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