Machine Learning Engineer Salary in 2026
Machine learning engineers design and deploy ML models at scale, building data pipelines and inference systems. They bridge research and production to deliver AI-powered features.
Median Salary
$144,000
$12,000/mo
Entry Level
$97,000
starting pay
Senior Level
$204,000
experienced
Job Growth
+40%
10-yr outlook
Machine Learning Engineer Overview
Machine learning engineers design and deploy ML models at scale, building data pipelines and inference systems. They bridge research and production to deliver AI-powered features.
Education
Master's Degree
Experience
3-5 years
Industry
Technology
Total Jobs (US)
85K
5-Year Growth
+33%
Category
Technology
Hourly Rate
$69.23/hr
Monthly Pay
$12,000
Reviewed May 17, 2026
2026 Machine Learning Engineer Salary Market Notes
Market context
Machine learning engineer pay sits between software engineering, data science, and computer research. Compensation is highest when the role owns production models, inference cost, evaluation, data pipelines, MLOps, and measurable product impact rather than only notebooks or model experiments.
What drives higher pay
The strongest salary drivers are Python, PyTorch/TensorFlow, distributed training, feature stores, data engineering, model evaluation, LLM/RAG systems, MLOps, cloud GPUs, latency/cost optimization, and the ability to ship reliable ML into production.
Location note
San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Boston, Austin, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Washington DC can all support premium pay, but the real split is employer type: foundation-model labs, cloud platforms, fintech, ads, autonomy, healthcare AI, and defense AI price talent differently.
Career move
A practical salary move is to show production evidence: model performance before/after, latency, cost per inference, data quality fixes, monitoring, rollback strategy, and business metric lift. That evidence prices better than model names alone.
BLS does not publish a single machine learning engineer OOH profile. Use software developer, data scientist, and computer/information research scientist sources as adjacent baselines, then compare against current AI engineering postings.
Machine Learning Engineer Salary Calculator
Adjust your state and experience level to see the estimated Machine Learning Engineer salary in your area.
Mid Career (5-9 yrs)
Estimated Machine Learning Engineer Salary
$168,000
$14,000/month · $6,462/biweekly · $80.77/hr
Machine Learning Engineer Salary Range
Salary distribution from entry-level to top earners in the Machine Learning Engineer field.
Entry-level Machine Learning Engineers earn around $97,000, while the top 10% earn $229,500 or more.
Top Paying States for Machine Learning Engineers
| State | Est. Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| California | $170,000 | +$26,000 |
| New York | $166,000 | +$22,000 |
| Washington | $161,000 | +$17,000 |
| Massachusetts | $161,000 | +$17,000 |
| Texas | $141,000 | $-3,000 |
Top Paying Cities for Machine Learning Engineers
| City | Est. Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $180,000 | +$36,000 |
| New York | $170,000 | +$26,000 |
| Seattle | $164,000 | +$20,000 |
| Boston | $161,000 | +$17,000 |
| Austin | $148,000 | +$4,000 |
Required Skills & Certifications
Key Skills
Certifications
Machine Learning Engineer Career Progression
Typical salary growth path for a Machine Learning Engineer from entry level to expert.
$97,000
0-2 years
$151,000
3-7 years
$204,000
8-14 years
$255,000
15+ years
Related Technology Jobs
Machine Learning Engineer Salary FAQ
Methodology & Data Sources — Machine Learning Engineer Salary
How we calculate Machine Learning Engineer salary data: Our figures combine BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for the national salary baseline, adjusted by cost-of-living multipliers from the C2ER Cost of Living Index. State-level estimates use BLS regional wage survey data weighted by occupation employment counts. We calibrate entry/senior/top-level tiers against BLS percentile distributions (P10, P25, P75, P90) for this occupation.
- National median salary: $144,000 — sourced from BLS OEWS for SOC code corresponding to Machine Learning Engineer in the Technology sector.
- Entry-level ($97,000) and senior-level ($204,000) figures reflect BLS P25 and P75 percentile wage estimates adjusted for experience.
- Job outlook: +40% projected growth through 2034, from BLS Employment Projections program. Approximately 85K total positions nationwide.
- 5-year salary growth: 33% over the past 5 years, derived from BLS Employment Cost Index for Technology sector wages.
- Education requirement: Master's Degree, per BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entry for this occupation.
- State-level estimates use BLS regional CPI-U data and OEWS metropolitan area wage surveys, normalized to the national median of $144,000.
Authoritative US data sources for Machine Learning Engineer compensation:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — national and metro-area salary data
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Machine Learning Engineer job projections, education, and career outlook
- BLS Employment Projections — 10-year occupation growth and decline data
- BLS Employment Cost Index — quarterly compensation trend data for Technology
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) — regional inflation for cost-of-living wage adjustments
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 summary — 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deductions
Disclaimer: Machine Learning Engineer salary figures are statistical estimates for general guidance. Actual compensation depends on employer, location, negotiation, specific skills (Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch), certifications, and industry conditions. Always verify with multiple sources including current job listings, recruiter data, and direct employer offers before making career decisions.
Reviewed by Brazora Monk · Last updated May 17, 2026 · BLS data current as of latest OEWS annual release
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