AI Analytics Engineer.
Houston.
$138,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$105,000 to $179,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
The median AI Analytics Engineer salary in Houston is $138,000, 3% below the national average. Entry level starts near $105,000. Experienced professionals push past $179,000. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. That spread is your negotiation window.
Salary range
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How Houston compares
Houston, TX
$138,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$142,000
Houston is $4,000 below
What you should know
If you are interviewing for AI Analytics Engineer roles in Houston, here is what you are walking into. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. The Texas Medical Center is the world's largest, driving massive demand for clinical and research roles. Houston's low cost of living and no state income tax make it an attractive destination for professionals seeking strong purchasing power. AI analytics engineers who build data models and dashboards for ML performance monitoring earn salaries driven by business impact and technical depth. Experience with experiment tracking, model monitoring, and A/B testing frameworks adds 10 to 15% to compensation. Companies in fintech and healthcare pay above-market rates for this role.
Junior AI analytics engineers start at $108,000 to $125,000. Mid-level engineers with 3 to 5 years reach $142,000 to $185,000. Senior analytics engineers earn $190,000 to $240,000, while analytics engineering managers and directors of ML analytics can command $250,000 to $320,000. In Houston, 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. Equity grants typically represent 10 to 20% of base salary at growth-stage companies. Annual bonuses range from 8 to 15%. Some firms offer profit-sharing arrangements, and remote work flexibility is common, though Bay Area-based roles pay 20 to 30% more. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax, giving Houston workers strong take home pay. The city's overall cost of living is below the national average, further stretching your salary. When someone quotes you $138,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates. The range for AI Analytics Engineers in Houston runs from $105,000 to $179,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Top industries in Houston
Negotiating in Houston
Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates.