Speech Recognition Engineer.
Raleigh.
$165,000
median salary, 3% above the national average
$129,000 to $214,000. Last updated June 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what Speech Recognition Engineers actually make in Raleigh: $129,000 at the 25th percentile, $165,000 at the median, and $214,000 at the 75th. That is 3% above the national average. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. 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 $149,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$107,000
to $132,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$140,000
to $173,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$182,000
to $215,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$206,000
to $256,000
Salary trend.
+5% YoYTotal compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $36,000 to the total package.
Base
$165,000
Equity
$20,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $201,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$165,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$160,000
Raleigh is $5,000 above
Speech Recognition Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Speech Recognition Engineer offer in Raleigh, understand the terrain. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. Compensation for Speech Recognition Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 10% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Speech Recognition Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
Speech Recognition 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. In Raleigh, 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. Total compensation for Speech Recognition Engineers runs roughly $176K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~10% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. 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. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $165,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Speech Recognition Engineers in Raleigh runs from $129,000 to $214,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified June 12, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Recommendation Systems Engineer in Raleigh earns $162,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Raleigh is Principal Quantitative Researcher at $353,000
Common questions.
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