Machine Learning Engineer Salary — What They Really Pay (2026)
How much does a Machine Learning Engineer make?
Across 51 real Machine Learning Engineer postings that published pay, the median salary is $208.6k a year. Most roles fall between $166.3k and $229.9k (the 25th–75th percentiles); the top 10% of postings pay $246.2k or more. These are annualized from live postings on the job boards and company career sites we sweep daily — hourly and contract rates converted to a yearly figure — so they reflect what employers are advertising right now, not a stale survey.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average Machine Learning Engineer salary?
The median is $208.6k/year across 51 current Machine Learning Engineer postings that list pay. Half advertise more, half less; the typical range is $166.3k–$229.9k.
What does a top Machine Learning Engineer earn?
The 90th-percentile Machine Learning Engineer posting advertises $246.2k or more per year.
How is this salary data calculated?
From the compensation employers publish on live Machine Learning Engineer job postings, annualized to a yearly figure and aggregated into percentiles. It updates as new postings are scraped.