TikTok’s future in the United States may be clouded by political uncertainty, with the ongoing divest-or-ban law placing pressure on its parent company, ByteDance. Yet despite these headwinds, TikTok is still aggressively hiring in America, offering six-figure salaries across core business areas like e-commerce, artificial intelligence (AI), and search.
A review of recent federal visa filings shows just how competitive TikTok’s pay structure is, rivaling salaries at Meta, Google, and other Big Tech firms. For candidates in data science, software engineering, and product management, TikTok’s compensation packages remain highly attractive, even as the company navigates regulatory scrutiny.
TikTok’s Hiring Push Amid Uncertainty
As of mid-2025, TikTok has over 1,800 open roles listed across major US cities, including Austin, San Jose, Seattle, and New York. Many of these jobs focus on growing TikTok Shop, the company’s expanding e-commerce platform, as well as improving its recommendation systems, AI safety protocols, and search algorithms.
While the platform faces risks from Washington policymakers, it remains one of the most influential apps shaping global culture and consumer behavior. From music discovery to news consumption, TikTok continues to drive industry shifts, and its employees have access to huge budgets, international exposure, and high-profile partnerships.
E-Commerce Roles: Building TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop, launched to rival Amazon and other online marketplaces, is rapidly expanding in the US. The company is paying generously to attract talent that can manage logistics, fight fraud, and improve customer experience.
Some notable salaries include:
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Celebrity Team Live Operation Manager – $94,000
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US Data Analyst (Logistics) – $128,000
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Category Manager, Health – $135,000
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Anti-Fraud Ops Program Manager – $180,000
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Data Scientist, E-commerce – $218,000 to $304,000
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Product Manager, User Growth (Lifecycle) – $220,000
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Inventory Placement Strategy Manager – $250,000
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Senior Machine Learning Engineer, E-commerce – $320,000
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Tech Lead, Governance Platform – $365,000
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Global E-commerce Solutions Manager – $480,000
These salaries reflect TikTok’s ambition to scale its online shopping ecosystem, ensuring competitive infrastructure, compliance, and consumer trust.
AI and Machine Learning Roles: Powering TikTok’s Future
TikTok’s success is largely built on its AI-driven recommendation system, which curates the “For You” feed. Maintaining leadership in this area requires top-tier engineering talent — and TikTok is paying accordingly.
Examples of AI and ML salaries include:
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Software Engineer, AI Platform – $144,000
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Research Scientist, AI Privacy – $188,000
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Product Manager, GenAI Safety (Trust & Safety) – $218,400
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Machine Learning Engineer, Computer Vision – $228,960
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ML Infrastructure Engineer – $270,000 to $320,783
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AI Product Manager – $300,010
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Senior ML Engineer, TikTok Recommendation – $386,115
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AI Security Researcher – $340,000
These roles highlight TikTok’s focus on content safety, generative AI applications, and advanced personalization, areas critical both for user experience and regulatory compliance.
Search Roles: Competing With Google and YouTube
TikTok has also been investing in search technology, positioning itself as an information discovery tool for younger users — a direct challenge to Google’s dominance. Salary filings reveal substantial investment in this segment:
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Creator Search Optimization (Ops) – $110,000
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Software Engineer, Search Infrastructure – $154,880 to $214,720
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Product Manager, Search Ads – $205,000
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ML Engineer, Search Ads – $229,200 to $354,000
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ML Engineer, TikTok Search – $241,200 to $300,000
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Senior ML Engineer, Search Business – $268,920
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Product Manager, Search Content Ecosystem – $400,000
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Leader of Search & Recommendation Product (ByteDance) – $540,552
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Search Ads Closed-Loop Product Manager – $564,000
These figures underscore TikTok’s ambition to monetize search results and compete directly with Google, YouTube, and Meta’s AI-powered ad products.
How TikTok Pay Compares to Big Tech Rivals
TikTok’s compensation packages are on par with — and in some cases higher than — salaries at Meta and Google. For example:
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Meta’s data scientists were offered between $122,760 and $270,000.
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Google’s staff software engineers earned between $220,000 and $323,000.
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TikTok’s machine learning engineers earned up to $390,000, and some e-commerce managers crossed the $400,000–$500,000 range.
This aggressive salary strategy is likely designed to lure top-tier talent despite the uncertainty surrounding the company’s future in the US.
The Bigger Picture: Why TikTok Keeps Hiring
Despite facing legal and political pressure, TikTok’s hiring spree reflects its determination to cement itself as a media, commerce, and AI powerhouse. By paying competitive salaries, TikTok can:
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Attract the brightest engineers and product leaders.
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Expand its e-commerce platform to rival Amazon, Shein, and Temu.
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Continue leading in AI-driven personalization.
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Challenge Google and YouTube in search and ad monetization.
If ByteDance successfully navigates geopolitical challenges, TikTok could emerge as one of the most influential companies shaping global internet culture in the next decade.
Conclusion
TikTok may be under fire politically, but for employees, it remains a high-paying, high-pressure environment with opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects in e-commerce, AI, and search. With salaries ranging from $65,000 for entry roles to nearly $600,000 for senior leadership positions, TikTok is clearly positioning itself to compete head-to-head with Silicon Valley’s elite — even as its long-term future in the US remains uncertain.
