According to Levels.fyi (updated September 2026), the median total compensation for an AI Engineer in the United States is $155,000. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $135,980 for software developers (SOC 15 1252), the closest official occupational category. Total compensation at senior and big tech levels frequently exceeds $200,000. <! article html v1 <p According to Levels.fyi (updated September 2026), the median total compensation for an AI Engineer in the United States is $155,000 (25th percentile $110,000 / 75th $218,000 / 90th $300,000). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $135,980 for software developers (SOC 15 1252), the closest official occupational category. Total compensation at senior and big tech levels frequently exceeds $200,000.</p <p That spread is real, and it matters. Where you land within that range depends on experience level, location, specialization, and how close your work sits to production systems that drive revenue. This breakdown covers all of it.</p <hr <h2 id="what is the average ai engineer salary in 2026" What is the average AI engineer salary in 2026?</h2 <p Before comparing numbers, it helps to understand <a href="https://4geeks.com/en/blog/ai powered learning/ai engineer" the AI engineer role</a day to day, because the scope of the job is what employers are actually pricing.</p <p Primary data anchors (September 2026):</p <table <thead <tr <th Source</th <th Figure (U.S.)</th </tr </thead <tbody <tr <td Levels.fyi — AI Engineer</td <td Median total compensation $155,000 (25th $110k / 75th $218k / 90th $300k)</td </tr <tr <td Levels.fyi — Machine Learning Engineer</td <td Median total compensation $280,000</td </tr <tr <td BLS OEWS / OOH (May 2025) — Software Developers (SOC 15 1252)</td <td Median annual wage $135,980</td </tr <tr <td BLS — Data Scientists</td <td Median annual wage $120,230</td </tr <tr <td BLS — Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15 1221)</td <td Median annual wage $140,300</td </tr </tbody </table <p Levels.fyi reports total compensation (base + equity + bonus) from verified submissions. BLS figures are median wages for the closest official occupational categories. Secondary trackers (Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, Built In, and others) often report different slices of the market and can skew higher or lower depending on sample composition.</p <p For a close comparison, see <a href="https://4geeks.com/en/blog/ai powered learning/ai prompt engineer" what an AI prompt engineer earns</a — Levels.fyi shows a median total compensation of $170,000 for Prompt Engineer roles in the United States (September 2026).</p <p <em Figures are total compensation from Levels.fyi verified submissions or BLS median wages; actual offers vary by level, location, company, and equity structure. Treat them as directional benchmarks, not guarantees.</em </p <hr <h2 id="ai engineer salary by experience level" AI engineer salary by experience level</h2 <p Pay scales steeply with experience:</p <table <thead <tr <th Experience level</th <th Typical base salary (U.S.)</th </tr </thead <tbody <tr <td Entry level (under 3 years)</td <td $80,000–$121,000</td </tr <tr <td Mid level (4–6 years)</td <td $138,000</td </tr <tr <td Senior (7–9 years)</td <td $155,000</td </tr <tr <td Lead (10–14 years)</td <td $172,000</td </tr <tr <td Principal (15+ years)</td <td $186,000+</td </tr </tbody </table <p The jump from entry level to senior often more than doubles your pay. That progression is driven by demonstrated ability to deliver, not just years served. For newcomers, the fastest path up the salary curve is building real, production grade experience early, not accumulating more credentials.</p <! article html v1 <h2 id="ai engineer salary by location" AI engineer salary by location</h2 <p <strong Top paying metros:</strong San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C. consistently lead. In San Francisco, average AI engineer salaries reportedly reach $212,000, with the 75th percentile near $272,000.</p <p <strong Remote roles</strong have largely closed the old location discount. The median senior remote AI engineer salary sits around $206,000 in 2026. Higher big city salaries partly reflect higher costs of living, so always weigh an offer against local expenses and remote flexibility.</p <hr <h2 id="ai engineer salary by industry" AI engineer salary by industry</h2 <p Industry has a major impact on total pay:</p <table <thead <tr <th Industry</th <th Median total pay (U.S.)</th </tr </thead <tbody <tr <td Media and Communication</td <td $191,000</td </tr <tr <td Information Technology</td <td $167,000</td </tr <tr <td Management and Consulting</td <td $157,000</td </tr <tr <td Healthcare</td <td $147,000</td </tr <tr <td Manufacturing</td <td $140,000</td </tr </tbody </table <p Roles tied directly to revenue generating products command a premium over internal or experimental wor