Salaries by City.
AI and tech salaries across 81 U.S. metro areas.
Data updated
San Jose pays the highest median AI Engineer salary at $237,000, but St. Louis delivers 6% more purchasing power after cost of living.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Cities for AI Engineers (Gross Salary, 2026)
Methodology
Salary estimates are aggregated from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), Department of Labor H-1B LCA disclosures, state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Data covers January 2022 through April 2026. Figures represent estimated annual base salary unless otherwise noted.
Top 10 Best-Value Cities for AI Engineers (Cost-of-Living Adjusted, 2026)
Methodology
Salary estimates are aggregated from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), Department of Labor H-1B LCA disclosures, state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Data covers January 2022 through April 2026. Figures represent estimated annual base salary unless otherwise noted.
All 81 Cities
Common questions
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.