Foundation Model Engineer.
Billings.
$199,000
median salary, 7% below the national average
$148,000 to $259,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what Foundation Model Engineers actually make in Billings: $148,000 at the 25th percentile, $199,000 at the median, and $259,000 at the 75th. That is 7% below the national average. Billings is Montana's largest city and economic hub, driven by energy, agriculture, and healthcare. The number on your offer letter will depend on what you bring and how you ask.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $179,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$129,000
to $159,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$169,000
to $209,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$219,000
to $259,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$249,000
to $308,000
Salary trend
+6% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $47,000 to the total package.
Base
$199,000
Equity
$26,000
Bonus
$17,000
Signing
$4,000
Estimated total: $246,000
How Billings compares
Billings, MT
$199,000
Cost of living: 11% below average
National Average
$215,000
Billings is $16,000 below
Foundation Model Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Billings
What you should know
If you are interviewing for Foundation Model Engineer roles in Billings, here is what you are walking into. Billings is Montana's largest city and economic hub, driven by energy, agriculture, and healthcare. The city serves as a regional center for the Northern Plains. Remote work has brought a wave of tech professionals seeking Montana's quality of life, gradually diversifying the local job market. This highly specialized role commands premium compensation driven by direct experience training or fine-tuning large language models and multimodal models. Engineers who have participated in pre-training runs exceeding 1,000 GPU-hours earn 15 to 25% more. Expertise in training stability, data curation, and alignment techniques are the most valued differentiators in 2026 compensation negotiations.
ML engineers with large-scale training experience earning $140,000 to $190,000 advance to this specialized role at $160,000 to $280,000. Progression leads to Staff Foundation Model Engineer at $210,000 to $300,000 or research leadership. This is one of the most direct paths to Head of AI Research positions. In Billings, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 11% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total packages range from $300,000 to $550,000 with significant equity grants, research publication bonuses, and compute credits for personal projects. Frontier AI labs offer the highest total compensation, often 30 to 50% above enterprise employers for equivalent experience levels. And on the tax side: montana has a top income tax rate of 5.9% but no state sales tax. Billings has no city income tax. The no sales tax benefit helps offset the state income tax. When someone quotes you $199,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate remote work arrangements. Billings employers are increasingly open to remote and hybrid setups to attract talent from larger metros. The range for Foundation Model Engineers in Billings runs from $148,000 to $259,000. 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 Director of Engineering in Billings earns $202,000 (2% more)
- The highest-paying role in Billings is Chief AI Officer at $287,000
Common questions.
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