The median software engineer posting in Palo Alto at a tech startup offers $310K base, with the middle half between $255K and $310K — from 36 live pay ranges at 5 companies.
| Level | Postings | Median | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level not stated | 29 | $310K | $310K–$310K |
| Senior | 5 | $208K | $208K–$208K |
| Member of Technical Staff - Model Training xAI |
$180K–$600K |
| Software Engineer - Voice Model xAI |
$150K–$450K |
| Software Engineer - Consumer Subscriptions xAI |
$180K–$440K |
| Exceptional Software Engineer xAI |
$180K–$440K |
| Software Engineer, Data Platform xAI |
$180K–$440K |
| Member of Technical Staff - Grok Product xAI |
$180K–$440K |
| Member of Technical Staff - Imagine Model xAI |
$180K–$440K |
| Member of Technical Staff - Imagine Product xAI |
$180K–$440K |
Figures are the midpoint of each pay range published in a job posting (US$, base salary as posted), across open roles at the startups we track, recalculated daily. Postings without a range, interns and contractors are excluded. Updated Oct 24, 2026.