Check my payDistinguished AI Engineer salary
What a Distinguished AI Engineer (level IC7, Distinguished) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle
Most companies pay between $330,000 and $505,000.
The shaded middle is where most companies aim. Anything inside it is normal pay for this level and market.
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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Check my payAI Engineer pay by level
Median base salary, top-tier markets.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate AI EngineerIC1 Associate / Entry | $121k |
| AI EngineerIC2 Mid-level | $167k |
| Senior AI EngineerIC3 Senior | $220k |
| Staff AI EngineerIC4 Staff | $269k |
| Senior Staff AI EngineerIC5 Senior Staff | $313k |
| Principal AI EngineerIC6 Principal | $363k |
| Distinguished AI EngineerIC7 Distinguished | $418k |
Related roles at IC7
Questions
How much does a Distinguished AI Engineer make?
In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Distinguished AI Engineer is $417,500, with most companies paying between $330,000 and $505,000. Pay in other cities, bonus, and equity are in the full range on Benchmarked.
How do I know if I am underpaid?
Pay below the 25th percentile for your level and market is below what most companies target. Check your salary against this range to see your percentile, then use that number in a conversation with your manager.
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.