Objective
This blog post aims to demystify the engineering levels at Meta, providing a clear understanding of the hierarchy, roles & responsibilities within the company’s engineering structure. Whether you’re an aspiring software engineer, a tech enthusiast, or someone considering a career at Meta, this guide will help you navigate the organization’s engineering framework and its impact on career growth.
Overview
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram & WhatsApp, is one of the largest technology companies in the world. As of December 2023, Meta employs approximately 67,317 individuals, marking a significant reduction from its 2022 peak of 86,482 employees but still reflecting an impressive 89.2% growth since 2018. The company’s engineering workforce is a critical component of its success, driving innovation across artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) & social media platforms.
Meta’s engineering team is renowned for its scale and complexity. With plans to scale to 600,000 GPUs for AI training in the coming year and thousands of training jobs running daily across its data centers, Meta’s engineers are at the forefront of cutting edge technology. This vast infrastructure requires a well defined structure to ensure clarity in roles, responsibilities & career progression.
Engineering Levels at Meta
Meta employs a structured leveling system for its software engineers, ranging from entry level roles to distinguished engineers who shape the company’s technological direction.
These levels are split into two primary tracks: Individual Contributor (IC) and Engineering Manager (EM).
Below is a detailed breakdown of the IC track:
E3 – Software Engineer II
- Role: Entry-level engineers with some experience or fresh graduates.
- Responsibilities: Complete individual tasks with minimal guidance. Deliver production quality code, write tests and documentation, and respond well to feedback.
- Impact: Focused on learning and growth; expected to advance to E4 within 24 months.
E4 – Software Engineer III
- Role: Mid-level engineers working independently on projects.
- Responsibilities: Own technical specifications for features, collaborate across teams & provide constructive feedback through code reviews.
- Impact: Contribute significantly to team projects while mentoring junior engineers.
E5 – Senior Software Engineer
- Role: Experienced engineers owning problem spaces end-to-end.
- Responsibilities: Drive technical alignment across teams, mentor peers & set quality standards for projects.
- Impact: Act as leaders within their teams by influencing both technical direction and team dynamics.
E6 – Staff Software Engineer
- Role: Senior technical leaders influencing organizational goals.
- Responsibilities: Handle complex problems spanning multiple teams or functions. Participate in roadmapping and advocate for engineering excellence.
- Impact: Shape the technical strategy of their teams while solving high impact problems.
E7 – Senior Staff Software Engineer
- Role: Engineers with deep expertise in specific domains or broad organizational influence.
- Responsibilities: Lead large scale programs involving multiple teams. Build high performing teams and set organizational direction.
- Impact: Drive innovation at scale by addressing cross functional challenges.
E8 – Principal Engineer
- Role: Industry leaders with expertise beyond Meta.
- Responsibilities: Champion specific technologies or processes while driving cultural change within the company.
- Impact: Influence industry standards while mentoring future leaders at Meta.
E9 – Distinguished Engineer
- Role: Visionaries shaping Meta’s core products or technology areas.
- Responsibilities: Solve problems no one else can address. Drive innovation across all layers of the organization.
- Impact: Represent Meta’s technological leadership globally.
*META apparently has few engineers at E10. This is similar to google’s own fellow level though folks in this grade are very few (& rare).
Impact and Effectiveness
Meta’s engineering levels are more than just titles, they represent a roadmap for growth, accountability & innovation. This structured approach ensures that every engineer has clarity on their role while providing opportunities for advancement based on merit and impact.
Why It Matters
The effectiveness of this system lies in its ability to:
- Foster career growth through clear expectations at each level.
- Encourage innovation by aligning responsibilities with organizational goals.
- Promote collaboration across diverse teams working on complex challenges.
Meta’s engineering hierarchy also reflects its commitment to excellence. From entry level E3 engineers delivering quality code to E9 distinguished engineers shaping industry trends, every level contributes uniquely to Meta’s mission of connecting people through technology.
Imagine this: You’re an E3 engineer starting your journey at Meta. You’re tasked with building a feature that will be used by billions of users worldwide, a daunting yet exhilarating challenge. Over time, you grow into an E5 role, leading projects that redefine how people interact online. Eventually, as an E8 Principal Engineer, you’re not just solving problems, you’re shaping the very fabric of technology itself. This is what makes Meta’s engineering structure so impactful, it transforms careers while driving innovation at a global scale.
At Meta, engineering isn’t just about writing code, it’s about creating impact, on products, people and the world
