AI Data Labeling Manager Salary.
Across 30 U.S. cities.
$115,000
national median salary
$85,000 to $155,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$154,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$120,000
Detroit, MI
Lowest Paying
$100,000
St. Louis, MO
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 AI Data Labeling Manager salary in the United States is $115,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $85,000 at the 25th percentile to $155,000 at the 75th. San Francisco pays the most at $154,000, while Detroit offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. AI data labeling managers oversee annotation teams and quality assurance processes critical to ML model performance.
AI Data Labeling Manager salary by city
What you should know
AI data labeling managers oversee annotation teams and quality assurance processes critical to ML model performance. Salary varies based on team size managed and domain complexity, with medical and autonomous driving labeling paying 15 to 25% more. Experience with labeling platforms like Scale AI, Labelbox, or custom tooling is a key differentiator.
Labeling team leads start at $85,000 to $100,000. Managers overseeing multiple annotation teams earn $115,000 to $155,000. Senior managers and directors of data operations reach $160,000 to $210,000, while VPs of data quality at large AI companies can command $220,000 to $300,000.
Equity is common at AI startups, typically 0.05 to 0.2% for manager-level roles. Annual bonuses range from 8 to 15%. Some companies offer per-project completion bonuses of $5,000 to $15,000 for meeting quality and timeline targets on critical datasets.