With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 15% growth rate in computer and IT research scientist roles from 2019 to 2020, prospects for budding computer vision engineers are bright.

But what is the current compensation outlook for this position? At AI/ML Jobs, we know a thing or two about salaries for a wide range of AI and ML roles, including that of a computer vision engineer.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the U.S. computer vision engineer job market. Not only will we analyze the average pay scale, but we’ll also examine the factors that affect compensation and explore various contexts, including specific industries in which computer vision engineers work. 

Let’s dive in!

What’s the Verdict on Computer Vision Engineer Salaries?

The average computer vision engineer in the U.S. makes $108,775 annually in total pay.  

While computer vision engineers don’t generally command salaries quite as high as their related counterparts in related roles (e.g., software and machine learning engineers), their earning potential can greatly vary based on a multitude of factors.

Factors that Influence Computer Vision Engineer Salary

Education

A key consideration in a computer vision engineer’s salary is their education level. Having a solid educational background can improve your chances of landing a higher starting salary. 

While employers will expect a relevant bachelor’s degree at a minimum, candidates with a relevant Master’s degree or Ph.D. may receive offers with higher compensation than most.

As the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics points out, education certainly pays. For example, those with a Master’s degree tend to earn 18% more than those with a Bachelor’s degree, and those with a Ph.D. generally make 21% more than those with a Master’s degree.

Years of Experience

Employers will also consider your previous experience when making an offer. Those with more relevant experience will have higher odds of landing an above-average compensation package.

According to Glassdoor, those with 0–1 years of experience typically make between $102,000 and $170,000 annually, while those with 15+ years on their belt usually earn somewhere in the region of $150,000 to $241,000 per year.

Seniority

Seniority can also significantly impact your starting salary prospects. Naturally, those with limited experience tend to receive less than industry veterans.

Location

How much organizations pay for computer vision engineers varies not only from country to country but can differ depending on locations within each country. For example, salaries are higher in major cities than in minor cities.

To add some context to this point, let’s look at the salary variation in a few different US states:

• California: $116,401 per year
• Texas: $103,737 per year
• Florida: $100,255 per year
• Illinois: $111,027 per year
• New York State: $112,612 per year
• Virginia: $104,898 per year

On the difference between major and minor cities, data shows that computer vision engineers make an average of $131,914 in San Francisco, while those employed in a smaller city like Indianapolis earn an average of $102,682.

Negotiation Skills

The better you can negotiate, the better your chances of landing a favorable deal. After all, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

To emphasize this point, according to CareerBuilder, 73% of employers have expressed a willingness to negotiate salary but only 55% of workers do.

Performance Reviews

This factor as potentially with other factors (e.g., seniority and years of relevant experience) can affect your chances of seeing a pay rise during your employment at an organization. 

Unsurprisingly, individual performance often plays a substantial role in shaping what sort of pay rise you may receive if promoted.

Do Computer Vision Engineers Feel Fairly Compensated?

According to employee reviews on Glassdoor, computer vision engineers give their compensation and benefits a score of 3.5/5. 

Compared to other positions in the AI/Ml sector, this isn’t amazing. For example, machine learning (ML) engineers and data science managers rate their compensation and benefits 4.1/5 and 3.7, respectively.

That said, computer vision engineers rate their career opportunities a 3.9/5, meaning they generally feel there are ample opportunities for growth and progression in the industry.

Computer Vision Engineer Average Salary by Seniority & Experience

According to Glassdoor, here is how salaries vary for computer vision engineers based on experience and seniority:

Seniority	Years of Experience	Salary Range
Entry Level	0–1	$102,000–$170,000
Intermediate	1–3	$111,000–$180,000
Mid-Level	4–6	$122,000–$196,000
Higher Level	7–9	$130,000–$207,000
Senior to Executive	10–14	$138,000–$218,000
Senior to Executive	15+	$150,000–$242,000

As you can see, computer vision engineer salaries naturally increase with experience and seniority. 

While salaries (obviously) increase with experience, the rates at which they do vary as follows:

• 0–1 years to 1–3 years of experience: +7.4%
• 1–3 years to 4–6 years of experience: +9.3%
• 4–6 years to 7–9 years of experience: +5.5%
• 7–9 years to 10–14 years of experience: +5.7%
• 10–14 years to 15+ years of experience: +10.0%

We see the rate at which salaries increase in the first six years before dropping off to +5.5% and +5.7% from the 6-14 year range. However, unsurprisingly, the rate increases again to the highest rise in pay between 10-14 and 15+ years.

Total Compensation

The average computer vision engineer in the U.S. makes a total salary of $108,755 per year. 

This includes an average base pay of $105,531 and additional pay of around $3,224 annually in the form of cash bonuses and stocks.

How Do Computer Vision Engineer Salaries Compare to Similar Roles?

Here is how much the average computer vision engineer salary compares with related jobs:

Position	Average Total Pay	% Above or Below
Computer Vision Engineer	$105,531	–
Software Engineer	$125,480	+18.9%
Machine Learning Engineer	$122,531	+16.1%

While the average computer vision engineer earns a respectable six-figure salary, those with job titles in closely related fields tend to command higher pay.

How Do Computer Vision Engineer Average Salaries Compare to Other Companies?

Here is how much computer vision engineers tend to receive working for various IT companies:

Company	Average Total Pay
Apple	$150,804
Google	$146,624
Meta	$180,946
Microsoft	$94,994
Nvidia	$117,975
Accenture	$99,860

Notably, salaries can vary significantly depending on the employer for computer vision engineers.

While many big names like Apple and Meta offer above-average salaries, computer vision engineers working for Microsoft earn below-average compensation.

How Do Computer Vision Engineer Salaries Compare in Various Industries?

Industry	Average Base Pay	Average Additional Pay	Average Total Pay
Legal	$99,236	$16,858	$116,094
Aerospace & Defense	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Agriculture	$115,389	$30,334	$145,723
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Management & Consulting	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Personal Consumer Services	$118,559	$30,746	$149,305
Education	$106,703	$24,385	$131,088
Financial Services	$114,137	$34,054	$148,190
Government & Public Administration	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Healthcare	$115,415	$30,223	$145,637
Information Technology	$121,730	$34,585	$156,314
Insurance	$114,047	$25,280	$139,327
Manufacturing	$104,457	$22,546	$127,003
Media & Communication	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Nonprofit & NGO	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Energy, Mining & Utilities	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Real Estate	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Restaurants & Food Service	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Retail & Wholesale	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Telecommunications	$102,888	$19,243	$122,131
Transportation & Logistics	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Hotel & Travel Accommodation	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338
Human Resources & Staffing	$113,221	$28,117	$141,338

It won’t surprise you that computer vision engineers tend to make the most in the IT industry. However, the role is also compensated well in the personal consumer and financial industries. Only some industries see a notable drop from the median salary including telecommunications and the legal industry.

Conclusion

This highlighted average earnings among computer vision engineers and the nuanced role that industries and experience play in compensation. We also dove into factors impacting this career’s salary levels.

If you’re yearning to land your dream job as a computer vision engineer, AI/ML Jobs is the perfect place to begin your search! 

Our website serves as a platform where you can scan thousands of AI/ML job listings from across the globe, filtering them based on your preferred location, skill set, and salary to land the perfect opportunities.