AI Performance Benchmarker Salary.
Across 83 U.S. cities.
$132,000
national median salary
$100,000 to $168,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$186,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$138,000
Jersey City, NJ
Lowest Paying
$101,000
Jackson, MS
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
The average AI Performance Benchmarker salary in the United States is $132,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $100,000 at the 25th percentile to $168,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $186,000, while Jersey City offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation reflects expertise in designing, running, and interpreting AI benchmark suites.
AI Performance Benchmarker salary by city
Skills that increase AI Performance Benchmarker pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for AI Performance Benchmarkers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $18,480 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$18,480 per year
≈ +$17,160 per year
≈ +$15,840 per year
≈ +$14,520 per year
≈ +$13,200 per year
≈ +$13,200 per year
≈ +$13,200 per year
≈ +$11,880 per year
What you should know
Compensation reflects expertise in designing, running, and interpreting AI benchmark suites. Engineers who can create fair and meaningful evaluations for model capabilities, hardware performance, and system throughput earn premiums. Experience with both academic benchmarks and production workload profiling is highly valued. Statistical rigor in result analysis and reporting is essential.
Junior benchmarking engineers start at $85,000 to $105,000. Mid-level engineers designing benchmark suites reach $125,000 to $150,000. Senior engineers leading benchmarking programs earn $155,000 to $190,000. Directors of AI performance evaluation at hardware or model companies can reach $210,000 to $260,000.
Equity at AI hardware or model companies adds $15,000 to $55,000 annually. Bonuses of 10% to 15% are standard. Access to cutting-edge hardware for testing is a significant perk. Conference travel and publication budgets support career development and industry visibility.