Lead Radiology AI Engineer.
Raleigh.
$230,000
median salary, 3% above the national average
$179,000 to $299,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Lead Radiology AI Engineer pay in Raleigh ranges from $179,000 to $299,000 in 2026. The median is $230,000, 3% above the national average. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. 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 $207,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$150,000
to $184,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$196,000
to $242,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$253,000
to $299,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$288,000
to $357,000
Salary trend
+6% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $58,000 to the total package.
Base
$230,000
Equity
$32,000
Bonus
$21,000
Signing
$5,000
Estimated total: $288,000
How Raleigh compares
Raleigh, NC
$230,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$223,000
Raleigh is $7,000 above
Lead Radiology AI Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Raleigh
What you should know
Before you negotiate a Lead Radiology AI Engineer offer in Raleigh, understand the terrain. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. The gap between theoretical knowledge and production deployment experience is the single largest salary differentiator. Lead Radiology AI Engineers who can optimize inference costs, reduce model latency, and handle scale reliably earn significantly more. Published research or open source contributions to widely adopted frameworks create additional leverage in negotiations.
Entry-level Lead Radiology AI Engineers start near $174,000. Mid-career professionals with three to five years of experience reach $223,000 to $290,000. Senior-level roles command $285,000 to $346,000. Management transitions to director-level positions offer $368,000 and above. In Raleigh, 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 top-tier companies adds 30% to 60% above base salary. Annual bonuses of 15% to 25% are standard. Signing bonuses of $25,000 to $75,000 are common when changing roles. Refresher equity grants vest annually. Relocation packages and executive benefits like financial planning are typical. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $230,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Lead Radiology AI Engineers in Raleigh runs from $179,000 to $299,000. 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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Common questions.
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