What AI and Machine Learning Jobs Pay: Posted Salary Ranges From 39 Companies
By Ghulam Ahmad, Software Engineer · Published October 21, 2026 · 6 min read
Short answer: In listings on CoreTechRoles that state a salary range, the middle of the posted range has a median of about $276K for machine learning roles, $285K for AI engineering, $265K for data science, $217K for forward deployed engineering and $370K for research scientist and research engineer roles. The figures come from 437 listings at 39 companies, as of October 20, 2026. They describe a high-paying slice of the market (well-funded AI companies, mostly in the US), so treat them as an upper-end benchmark, not an industry average.
What we measured
More employers now publish a pay range in the job posting itself. We took every active listing that states a range in US dollars and sorted it into one of five role groups by looking for keywords in the job title. For each listing we calculated the midpoint: the lowest and highest figures of the range, added together and divided by two. Then we looked at the median and the average midpoint for each group.
A listing can only land in one group. The groups are checked in this order: machine learning, data scientist, research scientist or research engineer, AI engineer (including "applied AI"), and forward deployed. So a title like "Research Engineer, Machine Learning" counts as machine learning, not research.
| Role group | Listings with pay | Median midpoint | Average midpoint | Lowest posted minimum | Highest posted maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine learning | 151 | $276K | $286K | $92K | $850K |
| AI engineer | 71 | $285K | $282K | $120K | $485K |
| Data scientist | 52 | $265K | $280K | $123K | $515K |
| Forward deployed | 96 | $217K | $232K | $130K | $445K |
| Research scientist / engineer | 67 | $370K | $415K | $170K | $850K |
All figures are yearly, in US dollars, and describe the range the employer chose to publish.
What stands out
Research roles are in a league of their own. The median research midpoint, $370K, is roughly $85K to $105K above the AI engineer and data scientist medians. The average ($415K) sits well above the median, which tells you a small number of very high ranges pull it up. The top of the highest research range, like the top of the highest machine learning range, is $850K.
Machine learning, AI engineering and data science are closer than you might expect. Their medians span only $265K to $285K, a gap of about $20K. Keep in mind where these listings come from. The data scientist postings here come from the 39 companies we cover, which lean toward AI and well-funded tech employers. Data science jobs at other kinds of companies may pay very differently, and this data can't speak to them.
Forward deployed engineering pays less than the other engineering groups. The median of $217K is roughly $60K to $70K below machine learning and AI engineering. It also has the narrowest spread between its lowest and highest posted figures. Forward deployed engineers typically split their time between building software and working directly with customers, but the data doesn't tell us why the pay differs, so we won't guess.
The floor is lower than the medians suggest. The lowest posted minimum in the machine learning group is $92K. Not every machine learning listing is a $250K job, even at these companies.
Does seniority show up in the numbers?
Partly. We also looked at roles with AI or machine learning terms in the title and guessed the level from words in the title ("senior", "staff", "principal" and so on).
| Level (from the title) | Listings | With a stated range | Median midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intern or early career | 32 | 4 | too few to report |
| Mid or no level in the title | 457 | 282 | $265K |
| Senior | 122 | 80 | $231K |
| Staff | 155 | 110 | $281K |
| Principal | 17 | 7 | $315K (small sample) |
| Director and above | 14 | 11 | $266K (small sample) |
Look at the Senior row: its median is lower than the group with no level at all. That looks odd, and it is a side effect of how blunt title keywords are. "Staff" also matches "Member of Technical Staff," a title some AI labs use across many experience levels, and many roles carry no level word. Read this table as what these particular titles pay at these particular companies, not as a career ladder. The best-supported number is the Staff median of $281K, which comes from 110 listings.
How to read a posted range
- A range usually covers more than one situation. Employers often publish one band for a role that can be filled at different levels or in different cities. Where you land depends on your experience, location and how the interviews go.
- Find out what the range includes. At many of these companies the posted figure describes base pay, and stock or bonuses are discussed separately. Definitions vary, so read the compensation note in the posting.
- Compare like with like. A range at one company is most useful next to similar-level roles at the same company, then against a few competitors.
- Use it in the conversation. If a recruiter asks about your expectations, a posted range is a fair starting point. You can ask where your experience sits within it.
What this data can't tell you
- Only about six in ten listings state pay. Companies that don't publish ranges may pay differently from those that do. See which employers state pay most often in who is hiring in AI and tech.
- US dollars only. Ranges in other currencies aren't included.
- Titles are a rough sorting tool. Two jobs with the same title can differ a lot, and some relevant jobs have titles our keywords miss.
- These are ranges, not offers or average salaries. Nobody has told us what people were actually paid.
- Thirty-nine companies is a small slice. Smaller companies and other countries will look different. You can read how the data is collected in how we collect and label job listings.
Frequently asked questions
How much do machine learning engineers make? In the listings we track, the median midpoint of posted ranges for machine learning roles is about $276K, and posted ranges run from a $92K minimum to an $850K maximum. These are well-funded AI companies, so smaller employers and other countries will usually look different.
Do these figures include stock and bonuses? Not reliably. Many postings describe base pay and handle equity separately, but practices vary. Check the compensation section of each posting.
Why are only five role groups covered? These are the groups with enough listings that state pay to calculate a meaningful median. Smaller groups would rest on too few listings.
How current is this? The figures are from October 20, 2026. Listings change as employers open and close roles, so we'll update numbers like these over time.
Want to see the roles behind these numbers? Browse current listings or look at a specific employer on the companies page. For related data, see which skills AI job descriptions ask for, how many roles are fully remote, and where the AI jobs are.