Senior KYC/AML Engineer Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$160,000
national median salary
$125,000 to $208,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$230,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$167,000
San Jose, CA
Lowest Paying
$121,000
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. Baseline derived from BLS SOC 15-2051. Full methodology.
The average Senior KYC/AML Engineer salary in the United States is $160,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $125,000 at the 25th percentile to $208,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $230,000, while San Jose offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation for Senior KYC/AML Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack.
Senior KYC/AML Engineer salary by city
Skills that increase Senior KYC/AML Engineer pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Senior KYC/AML Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $22,400 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$22,400 per year
≈ +$20,800 per year
≈ +$19,200 per year
≈ +$17,600 per year
≈ +$16,000 per year
≈ +$16,000 per year
≈ +$16,000 per year
≈ +$14,400 per year
What you should know
Compensation for Senior KYC/AML Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Equity is a major component at roughly 25% of base — candidates should weight stock grants as heavily as salary when comparing offers. Within tech-sector Senior KYC/AML Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
Senior KYC/AML Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. For Senior KYC/AML Engineers specifically, the seniority anchor typically means 7 to 12 years of experience with demonstrated independent scope.
Total compensation for Senior KYC/AML Engineers runs roughly $224K at median when factoring base + equity (25% of base annually) + bonus (12% of base). Equity is the single largest non-base component — candidates should model vesting schedules (typically 4-year with 1-year cliff) and compare grant values across offers carefully. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included.
Total compensation breakdown
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Senior KYC/AML Engineers typically earn $149,000 (7% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
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