AI Knowledge Engineer.
Portland.
$141,000
median salary, 2% above the national average
$107,000 to $178,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
A AI Knowledge Engineer in Portland earns a median of $141,000 in 2026. That is 2% above the national average. The range runs from $107,000 to $178,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Compensation reflects expertise in designing knowledge representation systems that enhance AI reasoning.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $127,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$92,000
to $113,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$120,000
to $148,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$155,000
to $183,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$176,000
to $219,000
Salary trend
+8% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $67,000 to the total package.
Base
$141,000
Equity
$41,000
Bonus
$18,000
Signing
$8,000
Estimated total: $208,000
How Portland compares
Portland, ME
$141,000
Cost of living: 5% above average
National Average
$138,000
Portland is $3,000 above
AI Knowledge Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Portland
What you should know
The AI Knowledge Engineer landscape in Portland is not what most salary sites will tell you. Portland, Maine is a small but growing tech and creative economy hub. The city attracts remote workers and small companies seeking quality of life on the New England coast. Healthcare, marine industries, and a craft food and beverage sector round out the local economy. Compensation reflects expertise in designing knowledge representation systems that enhance AI reasoning. Engineers who can build ontologies, knowledge graphs, and structured data pipelines that improve LLM accuracy earn premiums. Experience combining symbolic AI approaches with neural methods is a rare and valued skill. Domain expertise in specific knowledge domains adds 10% to 15%.
Junior knowledge engineers start at $90,000 to $110,000. Mid-level engineers building production knowledge graph systems reach $130,000 to $155,000. Senior engineers designing enterprise knowledge architectures earn $165,000 to $200,000. Directors of AI knowledge systems can reach $220,000 to $270,000 in total compensation. In Portland, 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 enterprise AI companies adds $15,000 to $55,000 annually. Bonuses of 10% to 15% are standard. Benefits include conference attendance at knowledge management and AI events, and research collaboration opportunities with academic partners. And on the tax side: maine's top income tax rate is 7.15%. Portland has no city income tax. The state rate is above average but offset by quality of life and access to rural New England. When someone quotes you $141,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate remote work flexibility. Portland employers know they compete with Boston and New York for talent and may offer location flexibility to attract top candidates. The range for AI Knowledge Engineers in Portland runs from $107,000 to $178,000. 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 API Developer in Portland earns $140,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Portland is Distinguished Engineer at $336,000
Common questions.
AI Knowledge Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in Portland
Related
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget — one script tag, free forever.