Salaries in Atlanta.
3,500+ roles. One city.
Cost-of-living index: 1.02x national average. Last updated April 2026.
3445 roles tracked
Highest Paying
$371,000
Principal AI Research Scientist
Median of All Roles
$159,000
Fintech Product Manager
Entry Level
$33,000
Hotel Clerk / Front Desk
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.
Atlanta, GA has a cost-of-living index of 1.02x the national average. The highest-paying role is Principal AI Research Scientist at $371,000, while the median across all 3445 roles is $159,000. Atlanta is a logistics and corporate powerhouse, home to Coca Cola, Delta, Home Depot, and UPS.
About the Atlanta market
Atlanta is a logistics and corporate powerhouse, home to Coca Cola, Delta, Home Depot, and UPS. The city's tech scene has expanded rapidly with major investments from Google, Microsoft, and a thriving fintech community. Atlanta offers strong salaries relative to its moderate cost of living, making it one of the best value metros for professionals.
Logistics & Supply ChainFinancial ServicesTechnologyFilm & EntertainmentHealthcare
Top 50 salaries in Atlanta
| # | Role | Median | Range |
|---|
| 1 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $371,000 | $290,000 – $483,000 |
| 2 | Technical Fellow | $350,000 | $273,000 – $455,000 |
| 3 | Principal Quantitative Researcher | $346,000 | $270,000 – $450,000 |
| 4 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $344,000 | $268,000 – $447,000 |
| 5 | Distinguished Engineer | $343,000 | $260,000 – $437,000 |
| 6 | Chief Security Officer | $343,000 | $267,000 – $446,000 |
| 7 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $340,000 | $266,000 – $442,000 |
| 8 | Senior VP of Security | $340,000 | $265,000 – $442,000 |
| 9 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $331,000 | $258,000 – $431,000 |
| 10 | Senior VP of Product | $329,000 | $257,000 – $428,000 |
| 11 | Chief Science Officer | $329,000 | $257,000 – $428,000 |
| 12 | L7 Software Engineer | $329,000 | $257,000 – $428,000 |
| 13 | SVP of Product | $326,000 | $254,000 – $423,000 |
| 14 | Principal Cryptographer | $325,000 | $254,000 – $422,000 |
| 15 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $321,000 | $251,000 – $418,000 |
| 16 | Staff AI Research Scientist | $319,000 | $249,000 – $415,000 |
| 17 | Chief Strategy Officer | $319,000 | $249,000 – $415,000 |
| 18 | Principal Applied Scientist | $318,000 | $249,000 – $414,000 |
| 19 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $318,000 | $248,000 – $414,000 |
| 20 | SVP of Sales | $318,000 | $248,000 – $414,000 |
| 21 | Chief Legal Officer | $315,000 | $246,000 – $410,000 |
| 22 | Chief Architect | $315,000 | $246,000 – $410,000 |
| 23 | SVP of Technology | $315,000 | $246,000 – $410,000 |
| 24 | Principal Kernel Engineer | $313,000 | $244,000 – $407,000 |
| 25 | Senior VP of Design | $313,000 | $245,000 – $407,000 |
| 26 | Chief Machine Learning Officer | $312,000 | $243,000 – $406,000 |
| 27 | CTO | $312,000 | $243,000 – $406,000 |
| 28 | Chief AI Officer | $310,000 | $230,000 – $400,000 |
| 29 | Chief Commercial Officer | $310,000 | $242,000 – $403,000 |
| 30 | SVP of Engineering | $307,000 | $239,000 – $399,000 |
| 31 | Staff Quantitative Researcher | $307,000 | $239,000 – $399,000 |
| 32 | Principal AI Agent Engineer | $306,000 | $239,000 – $398,000 |
| 33 | Senior Head of Product | $306,000 | $239,000 – $398,000 |
| 34 | Chief Technology Officer | $305,000 | $226,000 – $399,000 |
| 35 | Principal AI Infrastructure Engineer | $304,000 | $236,000 – $394,000 |
| 36 | Staff AI Agent Architect | $302,000 | $235,000 – $392,000 |
| 37 | SVP of Business Development | $302,000 | $235,000 – $394,000 |
| 38 | Chief Data & AI Officer | $301,000 | $224,000 – $393,000 |
| 39 | Principal LLM Engineer | $301,000 | $234,000 – $391,000 |
| 40 | Senior Head of Security | $301,000 | $235,000 – $391,000 |
| 41 | Lead High-Frequency Trading Engineer | $300,000 | $234,000 – $390,000 |
| 42 | Principal Computer Vision Engineer | $298,000 | $232,000 – $387,000 |
| 43 | SVP of Data | $298,000 | $232,000 – $388,000 |
| 44 | Chief Digital Officer | $297,000 | $231,000 – $386,000 |
| 45 | Chief Trust Officer | $297,000 | $231,000 – $386,000 |
| 46 | SVP of Strategy | $297,000 | $232,000 – $386,000 |
| 47 | VP of AI | $296,000 | $224,000 – $388,000 |
| 48 | Chief Growth Officer | $296,000 | $231,000 – $385,000 |
| 49 | Principal AI Engineer | $295,000 | $230,000 – $383,000 |
| 50 | VP of AI Research | $293,000 | $228,000 – $381,000 |
Tax considerations
Georgia has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 5.49%. Atlanta does not impose a separate city income tax, keeping the combined burden below most northeastern cities.
Negotiating in Atlanta
Mention Atlanta's role as a regional tech capital. Employers are investing heavily to retain talent against poaching from coastal firms offering remote positions.
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