With revenue from the global artificial intelligence (AI) market expected to increase by over 250% by the end of 2025, it’s no surprise that skilled AI professionals are in high demand.
Machine learning engineers command a high salary due to their specialized skill sets and the proliferation of artificial intelligence across industries.
If you’re interested in the earning potential for this role, here’s what you can expect from your machine learning salary, along with some of the skills you’ll need to make it happen.
Your Skills and Experience Matter
Like most fields, the machine learning engineer salary for different roles will vary based on the job level and the experience you bring to the table.
Potential employers will look at a combination of your skills and experience, along with what your specific role requires when determining your machine learning engineer salary.
For those newer to the field, securing a machine learning engineer internship is a great way to develop your skills. That hands-on experience may help you command a higher machine learning engineer salary.
Regardless of the job title, your experience will need to reflect the foundational skills required for machine learning engineering — C++ and Python and R programming language, image processing, natural language processing (NLP), deep learning, pattern recognition, software development, and computer vision.
To give you a general idea of what to expect depending on job level, here’s the breakdown:
- Entry-level machine learning engineer (0-4 years of experience) earn an average salary of $92,754
- Mid-level machine learning engineer (5-9 years of experience), command an average salary of $112,793
- Senior machine learning engineer (with 10+ years of experience) have an average salary of $155,361
Location, Location, Location
When it comes to your machine learning engineer salary, location will likely be a factor. Let’s look at the average machine engineer salary for some major U.S. cities:
Comparatively, here are the salaries in a few smaller cities:
Remember that many companies have transitioned to have a remote workforce, so you may be less restricted by geographic location when it comes to your job search.
Which Companies Pay the Highest?
When considering where you want to work, certain companies are known for offering a very healthy machine learning engineer salary.
Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook all have reputations for offering some of the best machine learning jobs in the industry. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are the highest paying.
According to Indeed, eBay is leading the pack with their machine learning engineer salaries, with a staggering salary over $335,000 a year.
Wish, Snap, Tapjoy and ABF Freight currently round out the top five, all offering a machine learning salary up to $200,000-plus a year.
Command a Healthy Machine Learning Engineer Salary
For those looking to land a role with a healthy machine learning salary, having solid skills coupled with practical experience you can draw on to showcase your talent during interviews is key.
Are you just starting out in the world of machine learning and need to uplevel your skills and get some hands-on practice?
Udacity’s Machine Learning Engineer Nanodegree Program allows you to learn advanced machine learning techniques and algorithms, including how to package and deploy your models to a production environment.
