Waymo backend engineering salaries
Across 40 open backend engineering postings at Waymo that state a range, the middle half pays $232k–$281k a year, with a median of $251k. The lowest posted floor is $86k and the highest ceiling $431k. This is base pay as posted by Waymo, converted to US dollars; equity and bonus are not included.
The range
Postings by the midpoint of the posted range, in steps of $50k
Median by team at Waymo
Postings with a stated range: Engineering leadership 5 · Data science 10 · Backend engineering 40 · AI and machine learning 52 · Mobile engineering 5 · Management 19 · Product management 10 · Operations 5
Backend engineering pay by level
| Level | Postings | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 17 | $238k | $232k–$238k |
| Staff and principal | 11 | $281k | $281k–$281k |
| Lead | 8 | $281k | $278k–$311k |
Best-paid open backend engineering roles
42 backend engineering roles open at Waymo now
40 of them show the pay range on the posting.
Questions
How much does Waymo pay for backend engineering roles?
The median of the 40 posted ranges is $251k a year; the middle half sits between $232k and $281k.
Is this base salary or total compensation?
Base salary as written in the posting. Many US employers post ranges under state pay transparency laws (California, New York, Washington, Colorado and others); equity and bonus are not part of these figures.
Why posted ranges and not self-reported salaries?
A posted range is what the employer commits to for a role it has open today. It is fresher than a survey and cannot be inflated by respondents. Each posting counts once, at the midpoint of its range.
Which level pays most?
Staff and principal roles have the highest median here: $281k a year across 11 postings.