Foundation Model Engineer.
New York.
$272,000
median salary, 27% above the national average
$203,000 to $355,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what Foundation Model Engineers actually make in New York: $203,000 at the 25th percentile, $272,000 at the median, and $355,000 at the 75th. That is 27% above the national average. New York City remains one of the world's largest and most diverse job markets, with unmatched density in finance, media, and technology. 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 $245,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$177,000
to $218,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$231,000
to $286,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$299,000
to $354,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$340,000
to $422,000
Salary trend
+6% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $63,000 to the total package.
Base
$272,000
Equity
$35,000
Bonus
$23,000
Signing
$5,000
Estimated total: $335,000
How New York compares
New York, NY
$272,000
Cost of living: 28% above average
National Average
$215,000
New York is $57,000 above
Foundation Model Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in New York
What you should know
If you are interviewing for Foundation Model Engineer roles in New York, here is what you are walking into. New York City remains one of the world's largest and most diverse job markets, with unmatched density in finance, media, and technology. The city's tech sector has grown rapidly, rivaling the Bay Area for venture funding and startup activity. Remote work has reshaped demand slightly, but employers still pay premiums for in office presence in Manhattan. 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 New York, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 28% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: new York State income tax rates reach 10.9%, and New York City adds a local income tax up to 3.876%. Combined with federal taxes, your effective rate can be among the highest nationally. When someone quotes you $272,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize your willingness to work from the office in Manhattan. Many NYC employers pay 10 to 15% more for in person roles compared to remote positions. The range for Foundation Model Engineers in New York runs from $203,000 to $355,000. 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 AI Agent Architect in New York earns $273,000 (0% more)
- The highest-paying role in New York is Chief AI Officer at $393,000
Common questions.
Foundation Model Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in New York
Related
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget — one script tag, free forever.