FAANG Levels Explained: L4, L5, and L6 at Google, Meta, and Amazon (Roles, Salaries, Career Growth)

Understanding FAANG Leveling Systems

FAANG companies (Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) each have unique leveling systems, but they roughly correspond in terms of role scope and seniority . For example, a mid-level engineer at Google might be Level 4 (L4), whereas a similar role at Meta is Engineer level 4 (E4/IC4) and at Amazon is Level 5 (L5) . To avoid confusion, candidates often use tools like levels.fyi to compare levels across companies .

• Google uses L3–L10 for individual contributors (with higher numbers indicating higher seniority). For instance, new graduate engineers start at L3, mid-level at L4, L5 denotes Senior, L6 is Staff, and so on up to L10 (Google Fellow) . Non-engineering roles (product managers, UX designers, data scientists, etc.) also use the same L-codes, with titles reflecting the discipline (e.g. L5 Senior Product Manager) .

• Meta (Facebook) typically labels engineering levels as E3–E8 for individual contributors, often referred to as IC3–IC8 (IC = Individual Contributor). A Senior engineer at Meta is E5 (IC5) and a Staff engineer is E6 (IC6) . Meta doesn’t publicly use titles like “Senior Product Manager” – PMs are simply “Product Manager” with a level number – but internally an IC5 PM role corresponds to a senior PM scope and IC6 PM to a staff/lead PM .

• Amazon uses numeric levels L4–L12 for corporate roles. For Software Development Engineers (SDE) specifically, L4 = SDE I (entry level), L5 = SDE II (mid-level), L6 = SDE III (Senior SDE), and L7 = Principal Engineer . Other job families at Amazon (Product Managers, Data Scientists, etc.) share the same level numbers, e.g. L6 Product Manager is a Senior PM, L7 might be Principal PM or Senior Manager, etc .

In summary: L4 generally denotes a mid-level professional, L5 a senior professional, and L6 a staff-level or lead professional across these companies. However, each company’s level titles and expectations differ slightly, as we’ll explore in detail. The table below maps equivalent levels at Google, Meta, and Amazon for core individual contributor tracks:

Comparing Levels at Google, Meta, and Amazon

The table below compares Google’s L4/L5/L6 with Meta’s IC4/IC5/IC6 and Amazon’s L5/L6/L7 levels. It shows the roughly equivalent titles, typical experience, estimated total compensation (US), and role expectations for each level grouping across these FAANG companies:

Notes: These equivalencies are approximate . Each company has its nuances – for example, Amazon’s L7 (Principal) covers a broad scope and can overlap with Google’s L6–L7 range depending on impact . Similarly, Meta’s E5 vs Google’s L5 are both “Senior” levels and often considered parallel in scope and compensation . The years of experience (YOE) can vary widely; strong performers might reach senior levels faster, and leveling for non-engineering roles follows similar patterns (e.g. a Meta IC6 Product Manager is a Staff PM role, comparable to a Google L6 PM or Amazon L7 PM) .

Google Levels: L4 vs L5 vs L6 Role Expectations

Google’s career ladder is well-defined, and understanding Google L4 vs L5 vs L6 helps clarify how roles differ:

• Google L4 – Software Engineer III (Mid-Level): An L4 at Google is a fully contributing engineer, often with 2–5 years experience . L4 engineers can work independently on moderate projects, design smaller features, and even lead small project teams or mentor interns . This level is considered a common plateau for long-term careers – many Googlers remain at L4 without pressure to advance further . Non-engineering example: a Google L4 Product Manager would be managing a product feature or smaller product area with guidance, equivalent to a mid-level PM role.

• Google L5 – Senior Software Engineer: L5 is a big step up – it signifies a Senior Engineer who leads major projects and designs complex systems . L5s often serve as tech leads, coordinating multiple engineers’ work and making significant technical decisions. Typically achieved around 5–8+ years of experience (Google often hires external candidates with ~6–10 YOE into L5) . Promotion criteria: To move from L4 to L5, one must demonstrate leadership beyond individual coding – e.g. owning a system end-to-end and elevating the team’s output . Interview expectations: Google L5 candidates face more rigorous system design interviews and are expected to show leadership and impact in their answers (beyond coding proficiency) . Non-engineering: a Google L5 Product Manager would independently drive a product area, akin to a senior PM (though Google’s Senior PM title is typically L6 , L5 PMs are on the cusp of seniority).

• Google L6 – Staff Software Engineer: Google L6 is a Staff Engineer position – a senior individual contributor (IC) role equivalent to a Manager II in Google’s management track . L6 engineers have cross-team influence and often lead the engineering for large projects or product areas . They are the go-to architects/experts in their domain, solving extremely ambiguous problems and mentoring other senior engineers . Many L6s act as technical leads for multiple teams or even have reports in a “tech lead manager” capacity . Typically it takes 8–15+ years to reach L6 (and strong performance through the L5 stage) . Compensation: L6 is where Google total pay jumps significantly – often $500K+ per year (with stock grants forming a large portion) . Interview/promotion: Advancing to L6 requires showing one can operate at an organizational level, driving broad technical strategy. Interview loops for L6 will heavily assess system design, leadership, and cross-team impact. Non-engineering: a Google L6 Product Manager is typically a Staff or Lead PM overseeing a major product or multiple product streams (often analogous to a Group Product Manager role).

Google’s levels beyond L6 include L7 (Senior Staff Engineer), L8 (Principal Engineer), and so on up to L10 (Google Fellow) for the very top technical leaders . But L5 and L6 are the key senior IC levels most relevant to job seekers; many Google engineers have long, successful careers staying at L5 (Senior) without moving to Staff .

Meta Levels: IC5 vs IC6 (Senior Engineer vs Staff Engineer)

At Meta (formerly Facebook), the leveling is slightly different in naming, but the scope of IC5 vs IC6 roles is comparable to Google’s senior vs staff:

• Meta IC5 – Senior Engineer (E5): Meta’s IC5 corresponds to E5, which is a Senior Software Engineer role . IC5 engineers own a problem space or project end-to-end – they set the technical direction for a project, execute on it, and often mentor junior engineers or even lead a small team to deliver results . Meta considers E5 a “terminal” level for most engineers – only ~15% of engineers go beyond IC5 to IC6 . Years of experience to reach E5 can range ~5–10 years (Meta expects engineers to grow from entry-level to E5 within ~4-5 years in a fast-paced “up or out” culture) . Responsibilities: Senior (IC5) engineers at Meta are trusted to drive projects largely through their own and their immediate team’s output, uphold high code quality, and have a broad impact within their team . Non-engineering: an IC5 Product Manager at Meta would be leading a product or major feature, effectively acting as a senior PM (even though Meta doesn’t use the title “Senior PM” externally) .

• Meta IC6 – Staff Engineer (E6): Meta’s IC6 is a Staff Engineer (E6), which is a major leap in scope from E5 . IC6 engineers influence engineering efforts across multiple teams and tackle Meta’s most complex, ambiguous technical problems . They often serve as tech leads for large areas, set architectural direction, and may even fill in for managers or product leads as needed to drive cross-functional initiatives . It often takes 8–15+ years of experience to attain IC6, and it’s a distinction only achieved by a small percentage of Meta’s engineers (the E6+ population is relatively small) . Responsibilities: At IC6, an engineer is expected to shape roadmaps beyond their immediate team, mentor other senior engineers, and be a catalyst for engineering excellence across the org . Promotion and interview: Moving from IC5 to IC6 at Meta requires demonstrating impact at a significantly broader scope and leadership across teams. In interviews for IC6, candidates are evaluated on staff-level problem solving – for example, how they’d handle system design or lead multiple teams technically (the expectation is “staff/lead level answers” in coding and design questions). Once at IC6, compensation increases with larger equity grants; total pay is often $500K+ annually for E6 in the US . Non-engineering: an IC6 at Meta in a product/design role would correspond to a Staff-level PM or Designer, meaning they drive strategy for an entire product area and mentor other PMs/designers.

Meta’s higher levels include IC7 (E7 Senior Staff Engineer) and IC8 (E8 Principal Engineer), which represent an elite group (only ~3% reach E7) and have org-wide or company-wide impact . But for most individuals, IC5 vs IC6 is the key transition from “senior” to “staff/lead” at Meta, similar to L5 vs L6 at Google . Meta’s culture values speed and impact, so showing you can “move fast” and deliver impact at scale is crucial to hitting those higher levels .

Amazon Levels: L4, L5 vs L6 (Growth from Mid to Senior)

Amazon’s leveling has some differences in naming, but understanding Amazon L5 vs L6 (and L4) is vital for those interested in roles there:

• Amazon L4 – SDE I (Entry-Level Engineer): L4 at Amazon is typically an entry-level Software Development Engineer I – often new graduates or those with <2 years experience . L4s focus on writing code for well-defined tasks, learning Amazon’s systems, and growing their skills under mentorship from senior engineers . Non-tech roles: an Amazon L4 Product Manager might be an Associate PM or a new PM managing a small product area with guidance.

• Amazon L5 – SDE II (Mid-Level Engineer): Amazon L5 is SDE II, the core mid-level engineering role . These engineers usually have 2–6+ years experience and can independently own moderate-to-large features or projects . L5 SDE IIs write and review code at scale, start mentoring L4s, and are expected to uphold Amazon’s high operational excellence bar (e.g. on-call rotations, handling scale in production) . Amazon’s L5 band is broad – some engineers stay at L5 for many years, and one might perform at near-senior level yet still be L5 due to Amazon’s slower promotions or broad leveling bands . Promotion: To advance to L6, an L5 must show they’re already operating as a senior – e.g. **leading projects and mentoring others consistently】 . Non-engineering: an Amazon L5 Product Manager is a mid-level PM, responsible for a product feature or sub-product, often an independent contributor but not yet “Senior PM.”

• Amazon L6 – SDE III (Senior Software Engineer): L6 at Amazon is a Senior SDE, a significant milestone akin to a senior engineer elsewhere . L6 engineers typically have ~6-10+ years of experience. They lead large, complex projects, often acting as the tech lead for a team of developers . At L6, engineers design systems that scale to Amazon’s massive user base and make high-impact technical decisions (for example, designing core components for AWS services) . They also mentor L4/L5 engineers and frequently coordinate across multiple teams, since Amazon’s services are highly interconnected . Compensation: Amazon L6 Senior SDEs earn substantial pay, though Amazon’s pay structure differs – base salaries have a cap (~$160K–$170K base for L6), but stock grants and sign-on bonuses make total compensation in the mid-to-high $200K range or more . (Amazon’s stock vest