On-Device AI Engineer Salary.
Across 83 U.S. cities.
$175,000
national median salary
$132,000 to $228,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$249,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$182,000
New York, NY
Lowest Paying
$132,000
Charleston, WV
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 On-Device AI Engineer salary in the United States is $175,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $132,000 at the 25th percentile to $228,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $249,000, while New York offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Salary scales with expertise in model compression and deployment across diverse hardware targets.
On-Device AI Engineer salary by city
Skills that increase On-Device AI Engineer pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for On-Device AI Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $24,500 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$24,500 per year
≈ +$22,750 per year
≈ +$21,000 per year
≈ +$19,250 per year
≈ +$17,500 per year
≈ +$17,500 per year
≈ +$17,500 per year
≈ +$15,750 per year
What you should know
Salary scales with expertise in model compression and deployment across diverse hardware targets. Engineers optimizing transformer models for mobile NPUs and edge TPUs earn premiums. Experience with Apple CoreML, Qualcomm AI Engine, or MediaTek NeuroPilot adds 10% to 18% over generalist ML engineers.
Junior on-device AI engineers start around $132,000 porting models to mobile frameworks. Mid-level engineers designing custom on-device inference pipelines earn $173,000 to $198,000. Senior engineers leading edge AI strategy for product lines reach $228,000 to $280,000.
Device manufacturers offer RSU grants vesting over four years with annual refreshers. Annual bonuses of 12% to 18% are standard, with patent bonuses of $5,000 to $15,000 per filing common at hardware companies.