Salaries in North Dakota.
1 metro area. 3445 roles.
Average cost-of-living index: 0.85x national average. Last updated April 2026.
1 city tracked3445 roles
Highest Paying
$306,000
Principal AI Research Scientist
Median Role
$269,000
SVP of Engineering
Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. 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 June 2026.
North Dakota has 1 major metro area tracked in our salary database, with an average cost-of-living index of 0.85x the national average. The highest-paying role across the state is Principal AI Research Scientist at $306,000 in Fargo. The median role pays $269,000.
Metro areas in North Dakota
Top 30 salaries in North Dakota
| # | Role | Median | Top City | Range |
|---|
| 1 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $306,000 | Fargo | $239,000 to $398,000 |
| 2 | Technical Fellow | $300,000 | Fargo | $234,000 to $391,000 |
| 3 | Principal Quantitative Researcher | $295,000 | Fargo | $230,000 to $383,000 |
| 4 | Senior VP of Security | $294,000 | Fargo | $230,000 to $383,000 |
| 5 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $281,000 | Fargo | $219,000 to $365,000 |
| 6 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $278,000 | Fargo | $217,000 to $362,000 |
| 7 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $278,000 | Fargo | $217,000 to $362,000 |
| 8 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $276,000 | Fargo | $215,000 to $359,000 |
| 9 | Distinguished Engineer | $275,000 | Fargo | $208,000 to $350,000 |
| 10 | Chief AI Officer | $274,000 | Fargo | $203,000 to $354,000 |
| 11 | SVP of Product | $274,000 | Fargo | $214,000 to $356,000 |
| 12 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $273,000 | Fargo | $213,000 to $354,000 |
| 13 | SVP of Technology | $273,000 | Fargo | $213,000 to $355,000 |
| 14 | Senior VP of Product | $272,000 | Fargo | $212,000 to $353,000 |
| 15 | Senior VP of Design | $271,000 | Fargo | $212,000 to $353,000 |
| 16 | SVP of Engineering | $269,000 | Fargo | $210,000 to $349,000 |
| 17 | Chief Security Officer | $269,000 | Fargo | $210,000 to $350,000 |
| 18 | Chief Science Officer | $266,000 | Fargo | $208,000 to $346,000 |
| 19 | SVP of Strategy | $265,000 | Fargo | $207,000 to $345,000 |
| 20 | Senior Head of Security | $264,000 | Fargo | $206,000 to $342,000 |
| 21 | L7 Software Engineer | $264,000 | Fargo | $206,000 to $343,000 |
| 22 | Lead High-Frequency Trading Engineer | $263,000 | Fargo | $205,000 to $341,000 |
| 23 | Principal LLM Engineer | $261,000 | Fargo | $203,000 to $339,000 |
| 24 | Chief Strategy Officer | $261,000 | Fargo | $204,000 to $339,000 |
| 25 | SVP of Data | $261,000 | Fargo | $203,000 to $339,000 |
| 26 | Principal Applied Scientist | $260,000 | Fargo | $203,000 to $338,000 |
| 27 | Principal Cryptographer | $260,000 | Fargo | $203,000 to $338,000 |
| 28 | SVP of Sales | $260,000 | Fargo | $203,000 to $338,000 |
| 29 | Staff AI Research Scientist | $258,000 | Fargo | $202,000 to $336,000 |
| 30 | CTO | $258,000 | Fargo | $201,000 to $335,000 |
Tax considerations in North Dakota
North Dakota has a very low income tax with a top rate of just 2.5%. Fargo has no city income tax. The minimal tax burden combined with low living costs creates excellent take home pay.
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