AI Hardware Engineer.
Providence.
$177,000
median salary, 7% above the national average
$134,000 to $214,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what AI Hardware Engineers actually make in Providence: $134,000 at the 25th percentile, $177,000 at the median, and $214,000 at the 75th. That is 7% above the national average. Providence sits between Boston and New York, benefiting from both labor markets. The number on your offer letter will depend on what you bring and how you ask.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $159,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$115,000
to $142,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$150,000
to $186,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$195,000
to $230,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$221,000
to $274,000
Salary trend
+9% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $79,000 to the total package.
Base
$177,000
Equity
$48,000
Bonus
$20,000
Signing
$11,000
Estimated total: $256,000
AI Hardware Engineer salary by company
Total compensation estimates include base, equity, bonus, and signing. Ranges reflect mid to senior level. Derived from public H-1B LCA filings, SEC proxy statements, and aggregated self-reported data.
How Providence compares
Providence, RI
$177,000
Cost of living: 4% above average
National Average
$165,000
Providence is $12,000 above
AI Hardware Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Providence
What you should know
Before you negotiate a AI Hardware Engineer offer in Providence, understand the terrain. Providence sits between Boston and New York, benefiting from both labor markets. The city's economy is driven by healthcare, higher education, and a growing design and creative sector anchored by RISD. Defense and marine industries also contribute to the local job market. Expertise in designing accelerators for neural network inference and training is the primary driver. Engineers with experience in ASIC design, FPGA optimization for ML workloads, or GPU architecture command top salaries. Knowledge of quantization, sparsity, and hardware-software co-design for AI workloads adds significant premium.
Junior AI hardware engineers start at $110,000 to $130,000. Mid-level engineers designing accelerator blocks reach $150,000 to $180,000. Senior hardware architects earn $185,000 to $230,000. Principal engineers and hardware leads at companies like NVIDIA or Google TPU teams can exceed $350,000 in total compensation. In Providence, 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. Equity at AI chip startups can be substantial, adding $50,000 to $200,000+ in annual value for early employees. Signing bonuses of $30,000 to $60,000 are common. Large semiconductor companies offer RSUs and annual bonuses of 15% to 25% of base salary. And on the tax side: rhode Island's top income tax rate is 5.99%. Providence has no city income tax. The state rate is moderate for the Northeast, and proximity to Boston creates competitive salary pressure. When someone quotes you $177,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Boston salary benchmarks. Providence employers know they compete for talent with Boston and will often offer 85 to 95% of Boston rates to attract professionals. The range for AI Hardware Engineers in Providence runs from $134,000 to $214,000. 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 AI Engineer in Providence earns $178,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Providence is Distinguished Engineer at $353,000
Common questions.
AI Hardware Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in Providence
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