Neural Architecture Search Engineer Salary.
Across 83 U.S. cities.
$168,000
national median salary
$130,000 to $210,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$234,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$175,000
Boston, MA
Lowest Paying
$133,000
Jackson, MS
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
The average Neural Architecture Search Engineer salary in the United States is $168,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $130,000 at the 25th percentile to $210,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $234,000, while Boston offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation reflects the deep expertise needed in both ML theory and systems optimization.
Neural Architecture Search Engineer salary by city
Skills that increase Neural Architecture Search Engineer pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Neural Architecture Search Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $23,520 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$23,520 per year
≈ +$21,840 per year
≈ +$20,160 per year
≈ +$18,480 per year
≈ +$18,480 per year
≈ +$16,800 per year
≈ +$16,800 per year
≈ +$15,120 per year
What you should know
Compensation reflects the deep expertise needed in both ML theory and systems optimization. Engineers who can design efficient search spaces, optimize for hardware-specific constraints, and produce architectures that outperform hand-designed networks command premiums. Publication record and demonstrated production impact are major salary levers.
Junior NAS engineers start at $115,000 to $135,000 running predefined search experiments. Mid-level engineers designing search strategies reach $155,000 to $185,000. Senior engineers defining architecture search paradigms earn $195,000 to $240,000. Research leads at top labs can exceed $300,000 in total compensation.
Equity at AI efficiency companies adds $30,000 to $90,000 annually. Compute budgets are among the largest for any ML role due to the search-intensive nature of the work. Bonuses of 12% to 18% are standard.