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Key Takeaways
- Average AI Engineer Salary: Glassdoor puts US total pay at $146,508, with a typical range of $118K – $185K.
- Sources Disagree for a Reason: One more source shows a $250,000 median because it captures stock-heavy big tech packages.
- Machine Learning Engineers Earn More: ML engineer total pay averages $165,398, ahead of the broader AI engineer title.
- Seniority Nearly Doubles Pay: Senior AI engineers average $286,775 in total pay, according to Glassdoor.
- Location Adds Up to 30%: San Francisco AI engineers average $197,793 in base pay on Indeed.
- AI & ML Engineer Traineeship builds data and AI skills from scratch, with live labs and 1:1 mentorship.
$146,508 and $250,000… Both figures describe the same job, and both are accurate!
The gap comes down to what gets counted and who’s reporting it. If you’re weighing a move into AI, that difference matters more than any headline, because it tells you what an offer at your level should look like. Demand isn’t cooling, either. PwC‘s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that jobs requiring AI skills carry an average 62% wage premium.
Below, you’ll see the real AI engineer salary picture in the US, broken down by source, role, experience and city. Fortray US helps career changers and IT professionals train for these roles through live, hands-on AI and data programs.
How Much Does an AI Engineer Make in the US in 2026?
The average AI engineer salary in the US ranges from $140,000 to $152,000, and top tech packages reach $250,000 or more. Glassdoor puts average total pay at $146,508, with a typical range of $118K to $185K. Indeed lists an average base salary of $152,030, drawn from more than 3,700 job postings.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t track “AI engineer” as a separate occupation. Its closest match, computer and information research scientists, earned a median of $140,300 in May 2025, and the BLS projects 22% job growth for that group over the next decade.
