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AI Engineering Salary
Definition
AI Engineer salaries typically range from $150,000 to $400,000+ in the US market, varying based on experience level, location, company type, and specialization within the AI engineering field.
Salary Ranges (2025 US Market)
Entry Level (0-2 years): $120,000 - $180,000
- Junior AI Engineer roles
- Often transitioning from software engineering
- Focus on implementation rather than architecture
Mid Level (2-5 years): $180,000 - $280,000
- Independent project ownership
- RAG and agent system expertise
- Production deployment experience
Senior Level (5+ years): $250,000 - $400,000+
- Technical leadership
- System architecture decisions
- Mentoring and team building
Staff/Principal: $350,000 - $600,000+
- Organization-wide impact
- Strategic technical direction
- Often at large tech companies or well-funded startups
Factors Affecting Compensation
Location: SF Bay Area and NYC command 20-40% premiums. Remote roles are often benchmarked to US averages.
Company Type: FAANG and well-funded AI startups pay at the top of ranges. Consulting and enterprise companies typically pay less but may offer better work-life balance.
Specialization: Expertise in high-demand areas (agents, voice AI, multimodal) can command premiums.