LLM Fine-Tuning Engineer.
Burlington.
$194,000
median salary, 5% above the national average
$147,000 to $252,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Burlington is 6% more expensive than the national average. For LLM Fine-Tuning Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $194,000, with the full range spanning $147,000 to $252,000. Deep knowledge of parameter efficient fine tuning methods like LoRA, QLoRA, and adapter layers drives compensation. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $175,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$126,000
to $155,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$165,000
to $204,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$213,000
to $252,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$243,000
to $301,000
Salary trend
+10% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $92,000 to the total package.
Base
$194,000
Equity
$56,000
Bonus
$24,000
Signing
$12,000
Estimated total: $286,000
How Burlington compares
Burlington, VT
$194,000
Cost of living: 6% above average
National Average
$185,000
Burlington is $9,000 above
LLM Fine-Tuning Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Burlington
What you should know
Here is what the LLM Fine-Tuning Engineer market actually looks like in Burlington. Burlington is Vermont's largest city and a small but growing hub for technology, healthcare, and sustainable industries. The University of Vermont drives education and research employment. The city attracts remote workers and small tech companies seeking New England quality of life at lower costs than Boston. Deep knowledge of parameter efficient fine tuning methods like LoRA, QLoRA, and adapter layers drives compensation. Engineers who can optimize training runs for cost and quality while managing GPU infrastructure are highly sought. Experience with evaluation frameworks, dataset curation, and domain specific model adaptation adds significant salary premiums.
Junior fine tuning engineers start at $120,000 to $150,000. Mid level engineers with production deployment experience earn $165,000 to $210,000. Senior engineers reach $210,000 to $270,000. Principal engineers at leading AI companies can exceed $350,000 in total compensation with equity. In Burlington, 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 AI startups typically adds 20 to 40% of total compensation. Performance bonuses of 15 to 25% are standard. Signing bonuses of $25,000 to $75,000 are common. Benefits frequently include cloud compute credits and conference attendance budgets. And on the tax side: vermont's top income tax rate is 8.75%, one of the highest in the nation. Burlington has no city income tax, but the state burden requires careful salary planning. When someone quotes you $194,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate remote work flexibility. Burlington's lifestyle appeal is a retention tool, but employers know they must offer competitive pay to offset Vermont's high tax rate. The range for LLM Fine-Tuning Engineers in Burlington runs from $147,000 to $252,000. 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 Engineer in Burlington earns $193,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Burlington is Chief AI Officer at $329,000
Common questions.
LLM Fine-Tuning Engineer salary in other cities
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