LLM Operations Engineer.
Burlington.
$164,000
median salary, 6% above the national average
$127,000 to $204,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what LLM Operations Engineers actually make in Burlington: $127,000 at the 25th percentile, $164,000 at the median, and $204,000 at the 75th. That is 6% above the national average. Burlington is Vermont's largest city and a small but growing hub for technology, healthcare, and sustainable industries. 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 $147,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$107,000
to $131,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$139,000
to $172,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$180,000
to $213,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$205,000
to $254,000
Salary trend
+8% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $68,000 to the total package.
Base
$164,000
Equity
$41,000
Bonus
$17,000
Signing
$10,000
Estimated total: $232,000
How Burlington compares
Burlington, VT
$164,000
Cost of living: 6% above average
National Average
$155,000
Burlington is $9,000 above
LLM Operations Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Burlington
What you should know
Before you negotiate a LLM Operations Engineer offer in Burlington, understand the terrain. 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. Compensation scales with expertise in deploying, monitoring, and optimizing large language models in production. Engineers who can manage inference costs, implement model routing, and maintain quality at scale earn premiums. Experience with quantization, batching strategies, and multi-model serving infrastructure is particularly valuable.
Junior LLM ops engineers start at $105,000 to $125,000 managing basic model deployments. Mid-level engineers optimizing inference infrastructure reach $145,000 to $170,000. Senior engineers designing multi-model serving platforms earn $180,000 to $220,000. Leading LLM infrastructure at major AI companies pushes total comp above $280,000. 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 infrastructure companies adds $25,000 to $80,000 annually. Bonuses of 10% to 15% are standard. Cloud compute optimization bonuses tied to cost reduction are an emerging compensation structure at some companies. 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 $164,000, 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 Operations Engineers in Burlington runs from $127,000 to $204,000. 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 Auditor in Burlington earns $165,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Burlington is Distinguished Engineer at $350,000
Common questions.
LLM Operations Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in Burlington
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