Machine learning engineer salary ranges in SF Bay Area
What open ML & AI postings in SF Bay Area say they pay: the top and the low end of the range each one states, in yearly dollars.
By level
How far the posted top moves from one level to the next, for ML & AI in SF Bay Area.
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Junior84 postings$317,000$256k–$317k
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Senior436 postings$263,000$242k–$305k
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Staff and principal345 postings$309,000$272k–$352k
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Manager and above82 postings$335,000$280k–$394k
Best-paying companies in SF Bay Area
Ranked by the median top of their open ML & AI postings in SF Bay Area, among companies with at least three that state pay.
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Anthropic41 with pay$560,000$405k–$850k
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Mercor7 with pay$500,000$500k–$500k
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Thinking Machines Lab5 with pay$475,000$475k–$475k
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AfterQuery4 with pay$450,000$410k–$450k
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Institute of Foundation Models14 with pay$450,000$450k–$450k
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OpenAI36 with pay$434,000$321k–$500k
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Applied Intuition17 with pay$423,000$260k–$423k
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Lumalabs Ai6 with pay$423,000$395k–$450k
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Wayve10 with pay$407,000$389k–$420k
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Perplexity3 with pay$405,000$405k–$445k
Machine learning engineer pay by place
The same work in every place with enough postings, highest median first; SF Bay Area is marked.
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SF Bay Area1,820 postings$288,000$242k–$350k
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New York579 postings$250,000$213k–$300k
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All of the US5,579 postings$247,000$195k–$300k
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Seattle472 postings$242,000$194k–$301k
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Remote1,108 postings$240,000$185k–$300k
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Austin73 postings$239,000$193k–$261k
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Boston166 postings$220,000$180k–$258k
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Washington DC102 postings$220,000$190k–$263k
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Los Angeles74 postings$210,000$180k–$250k
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San Diego68 postings$209,000$182k–$239k
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Atlanta30 postings$204,000$171k–$246k
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Denver35 postings$195,000$160k–$232k
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Chicago62 postings$190,000$151k–$225k
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Dallas56 postings$187,000$155k–$228k
Using these numbers
- Before you apply, check where the posting's own range sits against the middle half here. A range far below it is worth a question before you spend an afternoon on the application.
- When they ask what you expect, a figure inside the middle half for your level is one the market has already posted. Name the top of the posting's range if your experience matches what it asks for.
- Remember what a top is: the most a company says it may pay for the role. Offers land anywhere in the range, and equity and bonus are not in it.
Questions
How much do machine learning engineer jobs pay in SF Bay Area?
Open ML & AI postings in SF Bay Area that state pay post a median top of $288,000 a year; the middle half runs from $242,000 to $350,000, and the median low end of the ranges is $182,000. That is from 1,820 postings as of October 14, 2026.
How does the pay change with level?
For ML & AI postings in SF Bay Area, the median posted top is $317,000 for junior, $263,000 for senior, $309,000 for staff and principal, $335,000 for manager and above.
Which companies post the most for ML & AI in SF Bay Area?
Among companies with at least three postings that state pay, Anthropic ($560,000), Mercor ($500,000), Thinking Machines Lab ($475,000) post the highest median tops.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the pay ranges employers state in their own open job postings, which DonutApply reads from company job boards and public job feeds every day. They are what a company says it may pay for the role, not salaries anyone reported.
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