AI/ML Data Analyst.
Albuquerque.
$112,000
median salary, 10% below the national average
$85,000 to $148,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median AI/ML Data Analyst salary in Albuquerque is $112,000, 10% below the national average. Entry level starts near $85,000. Experienced professionals push past $148,000. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. That spread is your negotiation window.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $101,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$73,000
to $90,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$95,000
to $118,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$123,000
to $146,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$140,000
to $174,000
Salary trend
+9% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $57,000 to the total package.
Base
$112,000
Equity
$35,000
Bonus
$15,000
Signing
$7,000
Estimated total: $169,000
How Albuquerque compares
Albuquerque, NM
$112,000
Cost of living: 12% below average
National Average
$125,000
Albuquerque is $13,000 below
AI/ML Data Analyst salary by city
Salary by role in Albuquerque
What you should know
Before you negotiate a AI/ML Data Analyst offer in Albuquerque, understand the terrain. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. The city offers affordable living and a strong pipeline of research and engineering jobs tied to national defense and energy programs. Compensation varies based on proficiency with ML-specific data pipelines, feature engineering, and model evaluation metrics. Analysts who can build automated data quality monitoring for training datasets earn more. Experience with large-scale data platforms like Databricks or Snowflake adds 10 to 15% to offers.
Junior ML data analysts start at $70,000 to $90,000. Mid-level analysts earn $95,000 to $125,000. Senior analysts reach $140,000 to $165,000, and those who transition into ML engineering or data science roles can exceed $180,000 to $220,000. In Albuquerque, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 12% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Bonuses typically range from 5 to 15% of base salary. Equity is less common than in pure engineering roles but increasingly offered at AI-first startups, usually valued at $10,000 to $30,000 annually. And on the tax side: new Mexico's top income tax rate is 5.9%. Albuquerque has no city income tax. The moderate state rate and affordable housing create reasonable net compensation. When someone quotes you $112,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight security clearance or national lab experience. Sandia and Los Alamos pay nationally competitive salaries with excellent federal benefits packages. The range for AI/ML Data Analysts in Albuquerque runs from $85,000 to $148,000. 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 Data Scientist in Albuquerque earns $113,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Albuquerque is Chief AI Officer at $273,000
Common questions.
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