AI Engineer & Tech Salary Calculator
Estimate salaries for AI/ML engineers, data scientists, and tech roles by experience, location, and company tier.
AI & Tech Compensation in 2026
The AI talent market remains the hottest in tech. Senior AI/ML Engineers at FAANG companies earn $350,000-600,000+ in total compensation (base + equity + bonus). Staff-level AI engineers can exceed $700,000-1,000,000 at top companies. Even mid-level AI roles command $200,000-350,000 total comp in major tech hubs. The equity component (RSUs/stock options) often exceeds base salary at top-tier companies.
Location Impact
SF/NYC: 100% of market rate. Seattle/Boston: 90-95%. Austin/Denver: 80-90%. Remote: 85-95% (most companies pay based on role, not location). Midwest/South: 70-85%. International: varies widely. The remote work premium has narrowed the gap — many companies now offer 90%+ of Bay Area rates for fully remote roles.
Levels.fyi data shows that the median total compensation for a senior AI/ML engineer at Google is $450,000, at Meta $420,000, and at OpenAI $550,000. The top 10% exceed $700,000. These numbers have increased 30-50% since the AI boom began in late 2022.
