Drug Discovery ML Engineer.
Jersey City.
$206,000
median salary, 18% above the national average
$161,000 to $268,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Drug Discovery ML Engineer pay in Jersey City ranges from $161,000 to $268,000 in 2026. The median is $206,000, 18% above the national average. Jersey City has become a major financial technology hub, with Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and numerous fintech startups establishing offices. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $185,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$134,000
to $165,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$175,000
to $216,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$227,000
to $268,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$258,000
to $319,000
Salary trend
+3% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $55,000 to the total package.
Base
$206,000
Equity
$31,000
Bonus
$20,000
Signing
$4,000
Estimated total: $261,000
How Jersey City compares
Jersey City, NJ
$206,000
Cost of living: 20% above average
National Average
$175,000
Jersey City is $31,000 above
Drug Discovery ML Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Jersey City
What you should know
Before you negotiate a Drug Discovery ML Engineer offer in Jersey City, understand the terrain. Jersey City has become a major financial technology hub, with Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and numerous fintech startups establishing offices. The city offers Manhattan-adjacent salaries with slightly lower costs. Tech employment has surged as companies seek NYC-area talent at reduced overhead. Compensation for Drug Discovery ML Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Equity is a major component at roughly 25% of base — candidates should weight stock grants as heavily as salary when comparing offers. Within tech-sector Drug Discovery ML Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
Drug Discovery ML Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. In Jersey City, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 20% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for Drug Discovery ML Engineers runs roughly $252K at median when factoring base + equity (25% of base annually) + bonus (15% of base). Equity is the single largest non-base component — candidates should model vesting schedules (typically 4-year with 1-year cliff) and compare grant values across offers carefully. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: new Jersey's top income tax rate is 10.75%. Jersey City has a payroll tax but no separate city income tax. The high state rate makes salary negotiation especially important. When someone quotes you $206,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against NYC salaries. Jersey City employers offer 90 to 95% of Manhattan pay, and the lower commuting costs can make it a net positive. The range for Drug Discovery ML Engineers in Jersey City runs from $161,000 to $268,000. 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
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