AI Trainer / RLHF Specialist.
Sioux Falls.
$101,000
median salary, 16% below the national average
$72,000 to $139,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what AI Trainer / RLHF Specialists actually make in Sioux Falls: $72,000 at the 25th percentile, $101,000 at the median, and $139,000 at the 75th. That is 16% below the national average. Sioux Falls is South Dakota's largest city and a growing financial services hub, home to major credit card operations for Citibank and Wells Fargo. 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 $91,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$66,000
to $81,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$86,000
to $106,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$111,000
to $131,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$126,000
to $157,000
Salary trend
+6% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $49,000 to the total package.
Base
$101,000
Equity
$30,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$6,000
Estimated total: $150,000
How Sioux Falls compares
Sioux Falls, SD
$101,000
Cost of living: 15% below average
National Average
$120,000
Sioux Falls is $19,000 below
AI Trainer / RLHF Specialist salary by city
Salary by role in Sioux Falls
What you should know
Before you negotiate a AI Trainer / RLHF Specialist offer in Sioux Falls, understand the terrain. Sioux Falls is South Dakota's largest city and a growing financial services hub, home to major credit card operations for Citibank and Wells Fargo. The city's no state income tax and very low cost of living create exceptional take home pay ratios. Healthcare and agriculture round out the economy. Expertise in reinforcement learning from human feedback, preference labeling, and reward model calibration drives pay. Specialists who can evaluate model outputs across technical and creative domains command premiums. Experience with red teaming, adversarial prompting, and alignment research at frontier labs significantly increases compensation. Linguistics or domain expertise adds further value.
Entry level RLHF annotators start at $65,000 to $90,000. Mid level trainers with evaluation expertise earn $110,000 to $145,000. Senior specialists managing training pipelines reach $150,000 to $185,000. Leads overseeing alignment programs at top labs can exceed $220,000 in total compensation. In Sioux Falls, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 15% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Bonuses of 10 to 20% are common at AI labs. Equity grants at startups can add 15 to 30% of total compensation. Signing bonuses of $10,000 to $30,000 are typical. Benefits often include flexible schedules and research publication opportunities. And on the tax side: south Dakota has no state income tax. Sioux Falls has no city income tax. This zero income tax environment is a major draw for high earners seeking maximum take home pay. When someone quotes you $101,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the zero income tax advantage in negotiations. Sioux Falls employers know this is a major recruiting tool and will frame compensation accordingly. The range for AI Trainer / RLHF Specialists in Sioux Falls runs from $72,000 to $139,000. 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 IT Project Manager in Sioux Falls earns $100,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Sioux Falls is Chief AI Officer at $253,000
Common questions.
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