Check my payAI Engineer salary by level
Applied AI Engineering pay in 2026, from entry level to VP, in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, Senior AI Engineer, top-tier markets
From entry level to VP, medians run from $121k to $484k.
Individual contributor track
Median base salary in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate AI EngineerIC1 Associate / Entry | $121k |
| AI EngineerIC2 Mid-level | $167k |
| Senior AI EngineerIC3 Senior | $220k |
| Staff AI EngineerIC4 Staff / Lead | $269k |
| Principal AI EngineerIC5 Senior Staff / Principal | $313k |
| Distinguished AI EngineerIC6 Distinguished | $363k |
Management track
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Manager, Applied AI EngineeringM2 Associate Manager | $231k |
| Manager, Applied AI EngineeringM3 Manager | $269k |
| Senior Manager, Applied AI EngineeringM4 Senior Manager | $313k |
| Director, Applied AI EngineeringM5 Director | $370k |
| Senior Director, Applied AI EngineeringM6 Senior Director | $418k |
| VP, Applied AI EngineeringE1 Vice President | $484k |
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.