By Damien Tanner
The North American AI market has an estimated value of $32.6 million in 2023, which is more than 5x its value in 2017. Moreover, the sector is expected to surpass $128 million in just another five years!
With such a growth trajectory, it’s still a fantastic time to join the industry. At AI/ML Jobs, we know a thing or two about AI salaries. You can use our service to browse thousands of AI and machine learning jobs, including those specific to certain locations and skills and those with the highest pay.
In this guide, we’ll discuss average AI researchers’ salaries, break down the factors that can shape compensation, and more. Let’s dive in!
An AI researcher’s job is to explore and enhance fresh applications for artificial intelligence and develop new AI algorithms.
Common tasks may include:
The salary of an AI researcher ranges from about $102,000 to $180,000 per year, with $135,000 being the average.
Several key factors can play a role in shaping an AI researcher’s salary, including but not limited to the following.
Education level may help shape your salary and potential for being promoted. For instance, you may see the benefits of having an advanced degree in the field upon being hired (i.e., a higher salary from the get-go) or through increased opportunities appearing throughout your time as an AI researcher at the company in question.
Naturally, the more experience you have (especially managerial), the higher your starting salary could be at a new position.
A wider skill set can also increase the odds of a higher starting salary. Additional relevant skills to AI include machine learning and research analysis. The wider your relevant skill set, the better you will likely fare in the industry from a financial and career perspective.
Last but not least, the better you can negotiate when it comes to your contract, the higher your salary may be.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that AI researchers across the US feel generally satisfied with their compensation levels.
For example, according to Glassdoor, 10,000+ AI researchers gave their employer a rating of 3.8/5 for compensation and benefits on average. Glassdoor determined this by analyzing reviews for over 5,000 companies.
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According to Glassdoor, here is the average for AI researchers with progressively higher levels of experience:
| Experience | Base Pay (yearly) | Addtl. Pay (yearly) | Total Pay (yearly) |
| 0-1 Year | $91,500 | $23,625 | $115,125 |
| 1-3 Years | $98,851 | $27,016 | $125,867 |
| 4-6 Years | $107,898 | $31,019 | $138,917 |
| 7-9 Years | $114,152 | $33,886 | $148,039 |
| 10-14 Years | $121,495 | $37,802 | $159,297 |
| 15+ Years | $129,365 | $42,984 | $172,349 |
The average total salary for all AI researchers (ranging from those working their first job to workers with many decades of experience) is about $135,000.
Total salary, as shown in the previous section is base pay + additional pay. For the average AI researcher, regardless of experience level, base pay is over $105,000 with average additional pay standing at $29,509.
But what exactly is additional pay? This may come in the form of:
Moreover, Glassdoor has calculated that the most likely range for an AI researcher’s total compensation lands between $102,000 and $180,000. However, the possible range spans from $80,000 to as much as $232,000.
Common benefits associated with AI researcher roles include:
According to Salary and Glassdoor here is how AI researcher roles compare with others (when it comes to the annual average base salary).
| Similar Professions | Average Base Salary (per year) |
| AI Researcher | $105,686 |
| AI Psychometric Researcher | $116,332 |
| AI Developer | $100,617 |
| AI Programmer | $68,193 |
| AI Architect | $117,713 |
| AI Scientist | $138,593 |
The average base pay for an AI researcher is not only close to the average for all roles discussed above (which is about $107,856) but turns out to be the median position for base compensation.
The differences between the average salary for an AI researcher vs. an AI programmer or AI scientist vs. an AI researcher mark various points along the AI salary spectrum.
The salary difference between the average AI researcher and AI programmer represents a 54.98% increase, while AI scientists make about 31.14% more than AI researchers on average.
Labour supply, industry/employer, location, and more help explain why average salaries can vary significantly from job to job, even within a specific field.
As for the average total pay by company, here is how a range of employers compensates AI researchers on average, according to Salary:
| Company | Average Total Compensation |
| Meta | $202,329 |
| $201,401 | |
| DeepMind | $186,070 |
| Nvidia | $242,968 |
| Microsoft | $187,398 |
| Parallax Advanced Research | $139,418 |
| Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) | $100,031 |
| BetterUp | $182,093 |
| Smart Source Technologies | $75,234 |
| Appen | $84,261 |
As you can see, BetterUp is among the best companies to work for as an AI researcher in terms of compensation. Again, location and other factors will often play a role in shaping how much an employer pays for any given position.
As the industry grows, the number of AI researchers likely will too, meaning a wider array of opportunities to explore. That said, getting in now as the industry grows rapidly may prove the perfect chance to hit the ground running in a top AI company.
Last but not least, here is the average compensation for an AI researcher role by industry, according to Glassdoor:
| Industry | Base Pay (yearly) | Addtl. Pay (yearly) | Total Pay (yearly) |
| Legal | $80,290 | $16,996 | $97,286 |
| Aerospace & Defense | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Agriculture | $104,705 | $30,023 | $134,728 |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Management & Consulting | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Personal Consumer Services | $99,033 | $26,794 | $125,827 |
| Education | $88,299 | $19,245 | $107,544 |
| Financial Services | $102,428 | $32,217 | $134,645 |
| Government & Public Administration | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Healthcare | $101,744 | $29,221 | $130,966 |
| Information Technology | $110,074 | $31,141 | $141,215 |
| Insurance | $105,091 | $27,011 | $132,101 |
| Manufacturing | $94,726 | $94,726 | $118,003 |
| Media & Communication | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Nonprofit & NGO | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Energy, Mining & Utilities | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Real Estate | $106,624 | $34,684 | $141,308 |
| Restaurants & Food Service | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Retail & Wholesale | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Telecommunications | $95,329 | $22,055 | $117,384 |
| Transportation & Logistics | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Hotel & Travel Accommodation | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
| Human Resources & Staffing | $105,619 | $29,364 | $134,983 |
Perhaps it is not so surprising that one of the highest-paying industries for an AI researcher to work in is IT. However, real estate turns out to actually be the highest-paying industry overall for AI researchers.
Use cases for AI real estate might include improved marketing, tailored customer experiences and advanced analysis.
Other common use cases across industries include:
*May be utilized by local governments.
AI use across a wide range of industries will likely grow dramatically in the decade ahead. Already, nearly 3 in 4 healthcare organizations are either evaluating/testing AI use cases or have adopted the technology. Figures like this will probably only grow in the years to come across a plethora of sectors.
This article has explored the average AI researcher salary nationwide as well as AI researcher salaries by industry and company. We also explored the factors that can shape an AI researcher’s salary and how employees rate their level of compensation.
If you’re ready to start or further your career as an AI researcher, look no further than AI/ML Jobs. You can use our service to explore thousands of AI and ML jobs from a wide range of cities and countries. You can also specifically look at the highest-paying AI and machine learning jobs on the market!