Edge AI Engineer Salary.
Across 83 U.S. cities.
$180,000
national median salary
$135,000 to $230,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$251,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$188,000
Anchorage, AK
Lowest Paying
$142,000
Jackson, MS
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.
The average Edge AI Engineer salary in the United States is $180,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $135,000 at the 25th percentile to $230,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $251,000, while Anchorage offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Salary variance stems from expertise in model compression, quantization, and hardware-aware neural architecture search.
Edge AI Engineer salary by city
Skills that increase Edge AI Engineer pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Edge AI Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $25,200 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$25,200 per year
≈ +$23,400 per year
≈ +$21,600 per year
≈ +$19,800 per year
≈ +$18,000 per year
≈ +$18,000 per year
≈ +$18,000 per year
≈ +$16,200 per year
What you should know
Salary variance stems from expertise in model compression, quantization, and hardware-aware neural architecture search. Engineers who can deploy performant models on resource-constrained devices are scarce. Experience with specific edge hardware platforms like NVIDIA Jetson, Qualcomm, or custom ASICs significantly influences offers.
Junior embedded ML engineers start at $100,000 to $125,000. Mid-career edge AI engineers earn $135,000 to $180,000. Senior specialists reach $200,000 to $260,000, and principal edge AI architects at autonomous vehicle or robotics companies command $280,000 to $370,000.
Equity is common at robotics and IoT startups, often representing 20 to 35% of total compensation. Bonuses of 10 to 15% are standard, with additional patent bonuses at hardware-focused companies worth $5,000 to $15,000 per filing.