A machine learning engineer's salary can be many times more than the median income in the United States. Learn how much you can expect to earn from this in-demand career.
Machine learning (ML) engineers research, design, and develop critical artificial intelligence on data science teams.
Whether they’re working on algorithms to power your Spotify recommendations or creating algorithms to make real-time stock predictions, machine learning engineers are in high demand in many industries. As a result, they're well-compensated for their in-depth knowledge and ability to make decisions that drive profits.
In this article, you’ll learn the average salary a machine learning engineer can expect to earn in the United States and how it can vary by experience and location. You’ll also learn about the overall job outlook for machine learning engineers and the top sectors hiring them today. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced professional, we've got the salary scoop for you.
The average salary of a machine learning engineer is impacted by many factors, such as experience, industry, and geographic location. However, according to various salary aggregate sites, the average salary for a machine learning engineer ranges from $116,416 to $140,180.
Payscale | Ziprecruiter | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
---|---|---|---|
$116,416 | $127,448 | $124,405 | $140,180 |
Whatever the salary, machine learning engineers can expect to make much more than the median salary in the United States, which sat at $40,480 as of 2022 [1].
Experience has a big impact on what machine learning engineers can expect to make. Generally, the more experience a machine learning engineer has, the more they can expect to make in their role. According to Glassdoor, the experience breaks down as follows [2]:
0-1 years: $127,350
1-3 years: $144,572
4-6 years: $150,193
7-9 years: $154,779
10-14 years: $162,356
15+ years: $170,603
Those in more senior positions can typically expect to make even more. For example, according to Glassdoor, the average annual salary that a senior machine learning engineer makes is $140,180 across all years of experience [2].
As data becomes increasingly more valuable, so too do machine learning engineers capable of manipulating it with artificial intelligence. As a result, there are many industries where machine learning engineers can expect to find work. Here are the top five sectors, according to AI magazine [3]:
Healthcare
Transportation
Finance
Agriculture
Cybersecurity
Machine learning engineer isn’t the only game in town for those with the required skill set. According to Glassdoor, here’s how other similar jobs’ salaries stack up:
Software engineer - machine learning: $155,960
Research engineer: $122,747
Machine learning research scientist: $160,007
Machine learning scientist: $158,229
Typically, salaries vary from region to region. Every location has its own cost of living and market competition, which inevitably impacts the salary that a machine learning engineer can expect to make.
Here are the average salaries for machine learning engineers across the country – from the west coast to the east, the midwest to the south – courtesy of Glassdoor:
City | Average base salary (Glassdoor) |
---|---|
San Francisco, CA | $158,653 |
New York City, NY | $143,268 |
Seattle, WA | $150,321 |
Los Angeles, CA | $131,000 |
Austin, TX | $128,138 |
Washington, DC | $130,446 |
Madison, WI | $119,507 |
Saint Louis, MO | $123,009 |
Chicago, IL | $127,105 |
The job outlook for machine learning engineers is positive. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer and information research scientists – the group under which machine learning engineers typically fall – are projected to grow by 23 percent between 2022 and 2032 [4].
In 2019, meanwhile, Indeed ranked machine learning engineer as the number one job in the United States, noting its high salary and the 344 percent job growth seen between 2015 and 2018 as key reasons [5].
Becoming a machine learning engineer takes time and dedication. To get started, you might consider taking a relevant online course through Coursera to hone your machine learning expertise. Stanford and DeepLearning.AI's Machine Learning specialization can provide a two-month crash course in machine learning.
FRED St.Louis. “Real Median Personal Income in the United States, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N.” Accessed October 27, 2023.
Glassdoor. “Machine Learning Engineer Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/machine-learning-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,25.htm.” Accessed October 27, 2023.
AI Magazine. “Top 10 Sectors for Machine Learning, https://aimagazine.com/top10/top-10-sectors-machine-learning.” Accessed October 27, 2023.
BLS. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer and Information Research Scientists, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-and-information-research-scientists.htm.” Accessed October 27, 2023.
Indeed. “The Best Jobs in the U.S. in 2019, https://www.indeed.com/lead/best-jobs-2019.” Accessed October 27, 2023.
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