AI Engineer salary
Mapped est.Updated January 2025
AI engineers build applications and systems powered by machine learning and large language models — one of the fastest-growing engineering roles, with pay that runs above the broader software baseline.
Median pay
$150,000
U.S. typical
Top earners
$245,000
90th percentile
Entry level
$117,000
0–2 yrs
Senior
$202,500
15+ yrs
The median ai engineer salary in the U.S. is about $150,000 per year. Entry-level pay starts near $100,000, while top earners (90th percentile) make $245,000 or more. AI Engineeris a newer title that standard salary surveys don't track on its own, so this figure is a labeled estimate benchmarked against closely related engineering work.
Median annual wage
$150,000
Mean
$162,000
What ai engineers do
Integrate and fine-tune ML/LLM models, build AI-powered features and pipelines, and deploy and monitor models in production.
AI engineers build applications and systems powered by machine learning and large language models — one of the fastest-growing engineering roles, with pay that runs above the broader software baseline.
What affects ai engineer pay
- ▹Frontier-lab vs. application-layer roles
- ▹Research vs. applied engineering
- ▹Years of experience and rare specialization
- ▹Equity (very large at AI labs)
- ▹Metro cost of labor
AI Engineer salary by experience
Pay typically climbs from about $117,000 for entry level engineers to $202,500+ at the principal / staff level.
Your actual offer depends on company, location, and specialization — run the calculator for a tailored range.
Highest-paying cities for ai engineers
Estimated ai engineer pay in the top-paying metros, vs the national median.
| Metro | State | Pay band (10th–90th) | Median | 90th pct | vs U.S. | Data | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose California | CA | $222,000 | $362,600 | +48% | Estimate | ||
| San Francisco California | CA | $213,000 | $347,900 | +42% | Estimate | ||
| Seattle Washington | WA | $195,000 | $318,500 | +30% | Estimate | ||
| New York City New York | NY | $189,000 | $308,700 | +26% | Estimate | ||
| Boston Massachusetts | MA | $183,000 | $298,900 | +22% | Estimate | ||
| Washington, D.C. District of Columbia | DC | $180,000 | $294,000 | +20% | Estimate | ||
| Los Angeles California | CA | $177,000 | $289,100 | +18% | Estimate | ||
| San Diego California | CA | $172,500 | $281,750 | +15% | Estimate |
- Estimate
San Jose
California
CA
Median
$222,000
+48%90th
$362,600
View details - Estimate
San Francisco
California
CA
Median
$213,000
+42%90th
$347,900
View details - Estimate
Seattle
Washington
WA
Median
$195,000
+30%90th
$318,500
View details - Estimate
New York City
New York
NY
Median
$189,000
+26%90th
$308,700
View details - Estimate
Boston
Massachusetts
MA
Median
$183,000
+22%90th
$298,900
View details - Estimate
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia
DC
Median
$180,000
+20%90th
$294,000
View details - Estimate
Los Angeles
California
CA
Median
$177,000
+18%90th
$289,100
View details - Estimate
San Diego
California
CA
Median
$172,500
+15%90th
$281,750
View details
AI Engineer salary by state
| State | Est. median | Est. 90th pct |
|---|---|---|
| California | $186,000 | $303,800 |
| Texas | $156,000 | $254,800 |
| New York | $171,000 | $279,300 |
| Washington | $177,000 | $289,100 |
| Massachusetts | $174,000 | $284,200 |
State figures are estimates — open a state for its full city-by-city breakdown.
AI Engineer salary — frequently asked questions
How much does an ai engineer make?
What is the highest ai engineer salary?
How much do entry-level ai engineers make?
Do ai engineers make good money?
Which cities pay ai engineers the most?
How can an ai engineer earn more?
Source details
AI Engineer is not a BLS-tracked title; demand has pushed pay above the software baseline. Mapped to BLS SOC 15-1252 Software Developers. Not a direct BLS-tracked title — treat as an estimate.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →