SnTe films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering. The thickness dependence of the sheet hole concentration indicated the presence of a high hole density surface accumulation layer. Irradiation of SnTe by Ne+ ions led to the saturation of the hole concentration corresponding to a Fermi energy that is 0.5 eV below the valence band edge. The stabilized Fermi energy on the surface and in the heavily damaged bulk is in agreement with the amphoteric native defect model. These results show that SnTe is a unique semiconductor with an extremely high valence band edge located at 4.4 eV below the vacuum level.