How Much Does a Senior AI Engineer Make? (2025)
A senior AI engineer is responsible for designing and developing scalable solutions using artificial intelligence (AI) tools and machine learning models. They ensure the scalability, reliability, and performance of AI systems.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career and employment for computer and information technology occupations, including senior AI engineers, is estimated to increase much faster than the average for all occupations in the years 2024 to 2034, with around 317,700 job openings every year.
Read this salary guide as we thoroughly discuss senior AI engineer salary insights, responsibilities, and factors that affect their compensation, and how to become one.
What Does a Senior AI Engineer do?
A senior AI engineer is responsible for developing and executing performance tests on AI systems to measure their efficiency in handling large amounts of data, complex algorithms, and processing speeds to ensure optimal performance.
They perform research and testing to develop machine learning algorithms and predictive models. They also use big data computation and storage tools to create prototypes and datasets. Senior AI engineers are expected to be proficient in big data tools, cloud platforms, and multiple AI and machine learning tools.
Here are more detailed roles and responsibilities for senior AI engineers:
- They lead in the development and innovation of AI solutions in organizations
- They cultivate collaborative environments with multi-functional teams to incorporate AI capacities into existing systems
- They give technical guidance and mentorship to junior AI engineers
- They establish models that recognize patterns, create predictions, and understand language
- They conduct model training and evaluation
- They integrate, test, tune, and monitor solutions
- They coordinate with data engineers to ensure seamless data integration
- They research and implement new AI technologies to stay updated among the industry
What is a Senior AI Engineer Salary Overview?
As of October 14, 2025, the average salary for senior AI engineers in the United States is $122,021 annually. The range is from $108,128 to $140,182, with earnings mostly between $114,749 and $131,527.
The average monthly rate is $10,168 with a range from $9,011 to $11,682, while the average hourly rate is $59 with a range from $52 to $67.
2025 Senior AI Engineer Salary: $122,021 per year ($59 per hour)
Depending on the percentile, a senior AI engineer's pay with bonus ranges from $107,378 to $171,560, with $137,357 as the average value.
| Percentile | Salary + Bonus |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $107,378 |
| 25th Percentile | $121,665 |
| 50th Percentile | $137,357 |
| 75th Percentile | $155,260 |
| 90th Percentile | $171,560 |
The average total compensation for senior AI engineers, including the core compensation and benefits, is $189,056. The median base salary for senior AI engineers makes up 64.5% of the total compensation, while benefits like social security, healthcare, and time off make up 18.9%.
| Core Compensation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Median | % of Total | |
| Base Salary | $122,021 | 64.5% |
| Bonus | $15,336 | 8.1% |
| Value of Benefits | ||
| Social Security | $10,508 | 5.6% |
| 401K/403B | $5,769 | 3.1% |
| Disability | $2,747 | 1.5% |
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 4.4% |
| Pension | $7,417 | 3.9% |
| Time Off | $16,905 | 8.9% |
| Total Compensation | $189,056 | 100% |
What Can Affect Senior AI Engineer Salaries?
Factors, like experience level, geographic location, education, company size, and skills, can affect the salary for senior AI engineers. Here are the effects of these factors in terms of annual compensation.
By Experience Level
The salary of senior AI engineers varies depending on the experience level. An entry-level AI engineer salary is $118,937, while an expert-level with over 8 years of experience can expect $127,163 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Senior AI Engineer | $118,937 |
| Intermediate Level Senior AI Engineer | $119,453 |
| Senior Level Senior AI Engineer | $120,486 |
| Specialist Level Senior AI Engineer | $123,792 |
| Expert Level Senior AI Engineer | $127,163 |
By Geographic Location
Key factors why geographic location affects salaries in the United States are the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence. Here are the hot cities in the US for senior AI engineers:
| Cities | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, California | $143,313 | $152,395 | $164,267 |
| Washington, District of Columbia | $127,052 | $135,103 | $145,628 |
| Miami, Florida | $110,251 | $117,238 | $126,371 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $118,582 | $126,097 | $135,921 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $127,981 | $136,092 | $146,694 |
| New York, New York | $132,985 | $141,412 | $152,429 |
| Dallas, Texas | $113,315 | $120,496 | $129,883 |
According to Salary.com data, San Francisco, CA has the most competitive pay among the hot cities, with salaries ranging from $143,313 to $164,267, while Miami, FL has the least, with salaries ranging from $110,251 to $126,371.
By Skills
Compensation for senior AI engineers get higher with more acquired skills, especially with competencies that have higher demands.
Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that senior AI engineers with skills in Kubernetes can experience the highest pay increase at 6.35%, followed by Docker at 6.03%.
Meanwhile, the most in-demand skills are cloud platforms and analysis of algorithms at 10.90%. Some highly compensated skills also include Linux, Deep Learning, Cognitive Computing, and Chatbots.
| Skills | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes | 10.60% | +6.35% |
| Docker | 10.30% | +6.03% |
| Linux | 10.50% | +5.97% |
| Deep Learning | 10.30% | +5.64% |
| Analysis of Algorithms | 10.90% | +5.40% |
| Cognitive Computing | 10.50% | +5.40% |
How to Become a Senior AI Engineer?
Being an AI engineering professional has various career paths, especially in tech, such as computer vision engineering, natural language processing engineering, or machine learning engineering. To become a senior AI engineer, one needs to meet the educational, experience, abilities, and certification requirements. Here is how to do that:
Education
Becoming a senior AI engineer starts by getting a bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, data science, software development, or software engineering. This will provide you with knowledge of computer programming, data analysis, statistics, machine learning, and engineering design. You can pursue a master's degree in AI after, enhancing opportunities in this career path.
Experience
The senior position in AI engineering comes with practical work experience. Achieve this by applying for internships at AI engineering firms, becoming an entry-level talent (either in local or top companies), or joining AI competitions and getting clients to practice essential skills that are eventually needed in senior-level.
Skills
Competencies that are helpful in advancing to senior AI engineer role include programming languages, such as Java, R, python; machine learning fundamentals, such as reinforcement learning basics and supervised and unsupervised learning; deep learning concepts, such as neutral networks and transformers; and other modern AI tools and frameworks.
Certification
Some of the certifications that can help you become a senior AI engineer include Certified Artificial Intelligence Engineer (CAIE) from the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute (USAII), Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate, IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate, or AI Boot Camp in Columbia University.
What are the FAQs about the Senior AI Engineer?
Here are some common questions about the compensation for senior AI engineer:
What is the senior AI engineer salary near Washington, DC?
The salary of senior AI engineers near Washington, DC is $135,103 per year, with a range between $119,722 and $155,210. The monthly rate is $11,259, the weekly rate is $2,598, and the hourly rate is $65.
What is the salary of a senior AI engineer?
The salary of a senior AI engineer in the United States is $122,021 annually. The range is from $108,128 to $140,182, with earnings mostly between $114,749 and $131,527. The average monthly rate is $10,168 with a range from $9,011 to $11,682, while the average hourly rate is $59 with a range from $52 to $67.
What is the base salary for entry level AI (artificial intelligence) engineers?
According to Salary.com, the base salary for an entry-level AI engineer is $111,795 per year. This position holds less than a year of experience and is relatively lower than those in expert-level with $117,081 per year.
