Apple has awarded large stock bonuses to its iPhone Product Design team as it tries to hold on to key talent. The company handed out restricted stock units worth several hundred thousand dollars, with payouts tied to a four-year vesting period. This means employees will need to stay at Apple to receive the full value.
The move comes as competition for skilled engineers continues to rise, especially from AI-focused companies. Apple has seen a growing number of its designers leave for rivals, which has forced the company to act quickly to improve retention.
Bloomberg reports that Apple is facing increased pressure from companies like OpenAI, which have been hiring experienced Apple engineers for hardware projects. Some former Apple designers now work on new AI-driven devices, and hiring efforts have expanded across teams that worked on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.
“Employees see the pay bumps as a direct response to a recent uptick in recruiting from startups. Still, the bonuses are a fraction of what OpenAI and others are offering. In some cases, those companies are paying individual Apple engineers roughly $1 million in stock annually to jump ship.”
Apple has used similar strategies before. In 2021 and 2022, it offered stock bonuses across silicon, hardware, software, and operations teams to reduce attrition and keep critical projects on track.
Bonuses tied to long-term retention
The latest bonuses range from $200,000 to $400,000 or more, depending on stock performance over time. By spreading payouts across several years, Apple ensures employees remain committed while continuing work on future iPhone hardware.
At the same time, aggressive offers from competitors show how valuable experienced Apple engineers have become in the current market.
