AI Financial Engineer.
Madison.
$207,000
median salary, 1% below the national average
$153,000 to $267,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Madison is 5% cheaper than the national average. For AI Financial Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $207,000, with the full range spanning $153,000 to $267,000. Pay depends on ability to apply ML models to quantitative finance problems like risk modeling, algorithmic trading, and fraud detection. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $186,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$135,000
to $166,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$176,000
to $217,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$228,000
to $269,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$259,000
to $321,000
Salary trend
+6% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $101,000 to the total package.
Base
$207,000
Equity
$62,000
Bonus
$27,000
Signing
$12,000
Estimated total: $308,000
How Madison compares
Madison, WI
$207,000
Cost of living: 5% below average
National Average
$210,000
Madison is $3,000 below
AI Financial Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Madison
What you should know
The AI Financial Engineer landscape in Madison is not what most salary sites will tell you. Madison is a growing tech hub anchored by the University of Wisconsin and Epic Systems, one of the largest health IT companies. The city consistently ranks among the best places to live and has a thriving startup ecosystem. Salaries are competitive relative to the modest cost of living. Pay depends on ability to apply ML models to quantitative finance problems like risk modeling, algorithmic trading, and fraud detection. Engineers combining deep finance domain expertise with advanced ML skills earn top-band compensation. Experience with real-time inference for trading systems and regulatory-compliant model development adds 20 to 30% to base salaries.
Junior quant ML engineers start at $120,000 to $150,000. AI financial engineers earn $155,000 to $210,000. Senior roles at top funds reach $250,000 to $350,000 base, and portfolio managers or heads of AI strategy at major firms command $500,000 to $1,000,000 or more in total compensation. In Madison, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Performance bonuses at hedge funds and trading firms can range from 50 to 200% of base salary. Equity is less common in finance but deferred compensation plans are standard. Banks offer structured bonus pools tied to desk profitability. And on the tax side: wisconsin's top income tax rate is 7.65%. Madison has no city income tax. The moderate state rate is offset by the affordable cost of living and strong employer base. When someone quotes you $207,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Epic Systems compensation benchmarks. Epic sets the salary standard for tech in Madison and most employers in the area compete against their packages. The range for AI Financial Engineers in Madison runs from $153,000 to $267,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Staff Engineer in Madison earns $209,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Madison is Distinguished Engineer at $307,000
Common questions.
AI Financial Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in Madison
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