In 2023, the global compound annual growth rate or CAGR of the machine learning industry stands at almost 40%. Notably, this will likely see the industry’s value grow almost 10x from 2022 to 2029!

With the AI sector growing fast, it’s still a great time to land your first machine learning role or to continue on your current career path.

At AI/ML Jobs, we know how important it is to find a job and company that’s right for you. After all, our website is the perfect place to surf through thousands of AI and machine learning jobs nationwide and internationally.

This guide will discuss the salary of machine learning engineer roles in particular. We’ll also touch on factors that influence salary, how salaries vary from company to company, and more. 

Let’s dive in!

What’s the verdict on machine learning engineer salaries?

According to Glassdoor, the average total pay for a machine learning engineer is $132,688 per year. Salaries tend to range between $104,000 and $170,000.

Given the significance of machine learning engineers to the industry, it’s no surprise that these roles generally come with a six-figure total wage.

Machine learning engineer salaries land pretty much in the middle when compared with related jobs. For instance, while ML scientists and deep learning engineers typically get paid more, ML engineers still beat data scientists, software engineers, and more for total compensation.

Factors that influence machine learning engineering salary

Years of experience

Naturally, the more experience you have, the higher your starting wage in a new ML engineer role will likely prove. Not only might this come in the form of an employer valuing those with greater experience more, but through the skills/knowledge you can convey during the hiring process.

Seniority

Similarly, those with a higher level of seniority in the industry will have better chances of landing a higher paid starting salary at a new ML engineer job than those with an entry-level position.

Region

Where you live also matters, as labor rates (in general and by industry) tend to vary across the US.

Here are some examples of total ML engineer salary by region:

• California: $153,068 per year
• Texas: $129,578 per year
• Florida: $113,341 per year
• Illinois: $120,314 per year
• New York: $143,730 per year

Negotiation skills

Having strong negotiation skills can increase your chances of securing a more favorable deal, including when it comes to salary.

Certifications

An ML Engineer role usually requires a master’s degree in computer science or another relevant field. In some cases, however, you’ll actually need a Ph.D. in a suitable field to apply. You’ll also require high-level mathematics knowledge and advanced data analytical skills.

Industry

Salaries range significantly from industry to industry. Notably, healthcare and real estate pay the most (on average) for machine learning engineers, although IT unsurprisingly does not fall too far behind.

Skills specialization

Specializing in specific skills can also help increase your perceived value to potential employers. These skills may include a strong mathematical foundation, data wrangling and exploration, programming skills, deep learning, model selection and optimization, problem-solving and critical thinking, and communication skills.

Job market

Of course, the state of the job market will also affect your salary prospects. For instance, if the economy is in recession, the salary offering you’ll likely receive a lower salary offer vs. what you’d receive in better times. Likewise, tough times for the IT sector in particular may also impact ML engineer salaries.

Do employees feel fairly compensated?

According to Indeed.com, only 61% of machine learning engineers in the US believe their salaries are sufficient for the cost of living in their region.

So, while ML engineer salaries tend to land between $104,000 and $170,000, for many employees these figures are still not sufficient given the cost of living in many of the areas that tend to hire ML engineers.

Employee reviews on Glassdoor are more optimistic, with an average rating of 3.8 out of 5 for compensation and benefits. While there’s still room for growth, this figure marks a slight improvement over the Indeed data.

Machine learning engineer salary by years of experience

Here is the average pay for machine learning engineers by the level of experience, according to Glassdoor:

Experience	Base Pay	Additional Pay	Total Pay	Change
0–1 Year	$97,542	$19,059	$116,601	–
1–3 Years	$106,481	$22,007	$128,488	+10.2%
4–6 Years	$113,985	$24,229	$138,214	+7.5%
7–9 Years	$120,367	$26,539	$146,905	+6.2%
10–14 Years	$126,247	$29,353	$155,600	+5.9%
15+ Years	$131,610	$33,576	$165,186	+6.2%

It’s worth noting that the rise in total pay for machine learning engineers tends to be more significant in the early stages of their careers. Looking at averages, ML engineers see huge pay increases in the first 0–6 years of their careers, followed by more stable pay increases 7+ years on.

Total compensation

The overall average salary for an ML engineer in the US is currently $132,688 per year, with salaries tending to range from $104,000 to $170,000. Total compensation consists of base and additional pay (e.g., cash bonuses, stocks, etc.).

Common benefits that ML engineers gain include:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental Insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Relocation assistance
• Stock options

How do machine learning engineering salaries compare to other jobs?

According to Glassdoor, this is how ML engineer salaries compare to other jobs in the industry:

Job	Average Total Pay
Machine Learning Engineer	$132,688
Machine Learning Research Scientist	$158,180
Machine Learning Scientist	$139,099
Data Scientist	$126,532
Data Engineer	$115,448
Software Engineer	$107,126
Deep Learning Engineer	$141,247
Data Analyst	$70,262
Research Scientist	$123,784

As you can see, ML Engineers land a middle-of-the-road salary when compared with related job titles. The average of the jobs listed above is $123,823.

How do machine learning engineer salaries vary in various companies?

According to Indeed.com and Glassdoor, here are the average total compensations for ML engineers by company:

Company	Average Total Pay
Meta	$188,096
Google	$133,800
DeepMind	$179,826
Microsoft	$134,759
Cruise	$198,367
Twitter	$186,946
LinkedIn	$147,904
Unity	$138,038
Nvidia	$253,439
eBay	$317,642

It likely won’t surprise you that the average total salary for machine learning engineers at big names like Meta, DeepMind, Nvidia, and Twitter surpasses the average. However, it’s notable that salaries at Google and Microsoft aren’t that much higher. 

Of course, that isn’t to say that pursuing a career at any of these tech giants isn’t worth the leap. After all, finding the right job and company for you is about more than just salary. 

That’s why at AI/ML Jobs, we’ve made sure to provide access to thousands of AI and machine learning jobs with the ability to search based on top locations and skills, not just salaries.

How do machine learning engineer salaries vary in various industries?

Industry	Base Pay	Additional Pay	Average Total Pay
Legal	$83,568	$13,494	$97,062
Aerospace & Defense	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Agriculture	$108,229	$23,970	$132,199
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Management & Consulting	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Personal Consumer Services	$104,323	$21,861	$126,184
Education	$95,359	$16,975	$112,334
Financial Services	$106,091	$23,825	$129,917
Government & Public Administration	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Healthcare	$111,955	$27,195	$139,149
Information Technology	$109,134	$24,515	$133,649
Insurance	$109,761	$22,854	$132,616
Manufacturing	$95,557	$17,344	$112,901
Media & Communication	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Nonprofit & NGO	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Energy, Mining & Utilities	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Real Estate	$108,401	$26,796	$135,197
Restaurants & Food Service	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Retail & Wholesale	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Telecommunications	$95,163	$15,879	$111,041
Transportation & Logistics	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Hotel & Travel Accommodation	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674
Human Resources & Staffing	$109,067	$23,607	$132,674

Interestingly, the highest paying industry for machine learning engineers in healthcare (at $139,149 per year on average). However, there exists a wide range of industries that offer similar wages of between $130,000 and $140K.

Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve explored the average ML engineer salary in the US, as well as the average by company and industry. We also discussed other relevant topics like factors that influence salaries and whether employees feel fairly compensated.

Looking for your dream job? Find your perfect AI/ML role on AI/ML Jobs and browse thousands of opportunities, including openings for machine learning engineers. Explore jobs by location, skill set, and salary to find the best match for you. 

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