AI Engineer Salary US 2025: BLS Data

Entry-Level AI Engineer Salary in the US (2026)

Dan Patiño

· AI Strategy & Innovation at Coderhouse

Almost every salary figure published for this role is a median, which describes someone several years in rather than someone starting out. For a first job the 10th and 25th percentiles are the honest reference, and they sit well below the headline. BLS publishes no occupation called 'AI Engineer'. The figures here use Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), from the OEWS May 2025 release.

National median

$135,980

Projected growth

15.8% through 2034

What is the median ai engineer salary?

The widely quoted figure is $135,980, and it is the wrong anchor for a first job. That is the median: the midpoint of everyone in the occupation, including people fifteen years in. Plan against the lower percentiles and treat the median as where you are heading.

What does the full range look like?

Use two numbers rather than one. The 10th percentile approximates the least experienced end of the market, and the 25th percentile approximates the first promotion or two. Across the 25 largest metros that lower figure ranges from about $63,000 to $110,000, so where you start matters more than which employer you start with.

Where does the pay actually differ?

Highest-paying states by median: California $174,410; Washington $166,540; New York $166,180; Massachusetts $165,210; Oregon $142,720; New Hampshire $139,720. Lowest: Mississippi $95,330; South Dakota $96,310; Louisiana $102,800; Arkansas $104,490; North Dakota $105,600; Indiana $105,920. Among metro areas with at least 1,000 people in the occupation, the top payers are: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara $213,110; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont $186,640; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue $167,280; New York-Newark-Jersey City $166,830; Boston-Cambridge-Newton $166,090; Boulder $164,560. Cost of living is not adjusted in any of these figures, so a high nominal median in an expensive metro can be worth less in practice than a moderate one elsewhere.

What drives the differences?

Four things move pay in this field, roughly in order of impact early on: the metro you work in, the industry (finance and technology pay above healthcare and government for the same title), the size of the employer, and the scope of the role. Years of experience matters, but it compounds later rather than immediately. Note also that OEWS covers base wages only, so equity and bonuses, which are substantial at large technology employers, are not in any of these numbers.

Primary BLS occupation

15-1252 (Software Developers)

Highest-paying states

California $174,410; Washington $166,540; New York $166,180; Massachusetts $165,210; Oregon $142,720; New Hampshire $139,720

Lowest-paying states

Mississippi $95,330; South Dakota $96,310; Louisiana $102,800; Arkansas $104,490; North Dakota $105,600; Indiana $105,920

Top-paying metros

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara $213,110; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont $186,640; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue $167,280; New York-Newark-Jersey City $166,830; Boston-Cambridge-Newton $166,090; Boulder $164,560

How do you move up the range?

The reliable levers are scope and evidence. Moving from producing reports to designing measurement, running experiments and defending a recommendation is what separates the middle of the range from the top of it. Coderhouse teaches that progression directly: the AI Engineering course is live online, 8 weeks long, $595 at launch price, with a curriculum reviewed by Google, Microsoft and MongoDB. It is a course, not a placement program, so there is no job guarantee attached.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a ai engineer make in the US?

The closest BLS occupation shows a national median of $135,980 a year as of May 2025. BLS publishes no occupation called 'AI Engineer'. The figures here use Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), from the OEWS May 2025 release.

What is a realistic starting salary?

The 10th percentile is the best available proxy, since BLS does not publish by experience level. It sits well below the median, and it varies by metro considerably more than by employer.

Does location matter more than experience?

Early on, usually yes. The gap between the highest and lowest paying states exceeds what most people gain in their first several years in the role.

Do these figures include bonuses and equity?

No. OEWS covers base wages, which means total compensation at large technology employers is materially higher than these numbers suggest. Treat them as a floor for that segment.

How current is this data?

It is the May 2025 OEWS release, the most recent available. BLS updates it annually, and estimates draw on three years of collected panels, so they lag rapid changes in pay.

Methodology and caveats

BLS publishes no occupation called 'AI Engineer'. The figures here use Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), from the OEWS May 2025 release. OEWS estimates are produced from six semiannual panels collected over three years, which makes them stable but slower to reflect sudden market shifts. They measure wages where the job is located, cover base pay only, and exclude equity, bonuses and self-employed workers. Job titles in this field are not standardized, so any single occupation code is an approximation rather than an exact match for a title you see in a posting.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025