Tesla (TSLA) factory workers are pulling in $41K to $48K a year—way more than the 2025 federal poverty line. When you factor in stock options and full healthcare coverage, it pretty much shuts down the narrative about Tesla exploiting its workers.
Tesla Worker Pay Actually Beats National Poverty Standards
Tesla keeps getting heat for how it treats factory workers, but the numbers tell a different story. Based on Glassdoor data, Tesla’s production staff are making somewhere between $41,000 and $48,000 annually. That’s nearly triple the 2025 federal poverty threshold of $15,650 for single-person households (per the Department of Health and Human Services).
This kind of puts a dent in the whole “Tesla workers are struggling to get by” argument that keeps making the rounds. Even in pricey markets, most Tesla employees seem to be…


