Clinical AI Engineer.
Nashville.
$141,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$107,000 to $179,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Clinical AI Engineer in Nashville earns a median of $141,000 in 2026. That is 3% below the national average. The range runs from $107,000 to $179,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Compensation reflects the specialized intersection of ML engineering and clinical domain expertise.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $127,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$92,000
to $113,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$120,000
to $148,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$155,000
to $183,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$176,000
to $219,000
Salary trend
+6% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$141,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $172,000
How Nashville compares
Nashville, TN
$141,000
Cost of living: at average
National Average
$145,000
Nashville is $4,000 below
Clinical AI Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Nashville
What you should know
The Clinical AI Engineer landscape in Nashville is not what most salary sites will tell you. Nashville has diversified well beyond music into healthcare, finance, and technology. The city is home to HCA Healthcare and a growing corridor of health tech startups. Nashville's moderate cost of living, combined with Tennessee's lack of state income tax on wages, makes it increasingly popular for corporate relocations and remote workers. Compensation reflects the specialized intersection of ML engineering and clinical domain expertise. Engineers who can navigate FDA regulatory requirements, build AI systems for clinical decision support, and validate models against clinical outcomes earn premiums. Experience with medical imaging AI, EHR integration, or clinical NLP adds significant value.
Junior clinical AI engineers start at $100,000 to $115,000. Mid-level engineers building FDA-ready AI systems reach $135,000 to $165,000. Senior engineers leading clinical AI programs earn $170,000 to $210,000. Directors of clinical AI at hospital systems or health tech companies can reach $230,000 to $290,000 in total compensation. In Nashville, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at health AI startups adds $20,000 to $70,000 annually. Bonuses of 10% to 20% are standard. Benefits often include continuing medical education stipends and conference budgets. Some healthcare systems offer pension benefits and loan forgiveness programs. And on the tax side: tennessee has no state income tax on wages or salaries. This gives Nashville workers a meaningful take home advantage over peers in states with 5 to 10% income tax rates. When someone quotes you $141,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the healthcare industry concentration as leverage. Nashville healthcare employers are accustomed to national pay scales and will often match or beat coastal health sector offers. The range for Clinical AI Engineers in Nashville runs from $107,000 to $179,000. 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 Conversational AI Designer in Nashville earns $140,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Nashville is Distinguished Engineer at $343,000
Common questions.
Clinical AI Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in Nashville
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