AI Data Quality Engineer.
Houston.
$136,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$102,000 to $179,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
A AI Data Quality Engineer in Houston earns a median of $136,000 in 2026. That is 3% below the national average. The range runs from $102,000 to $179,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. AI data quality engineers ensure training and serving data meets standards for ML model reliability.
Salary range
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How Houston compares
Houston, TX
$136,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$140,000
Houston is $4,000 below
What you should know
Here is what the AI Data Quality Engineer market actually looks like in Houston. 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 data quality engineers ensure training and serving data meets standards for ML model reliability. Salary is driven by experience with data validation frameworks, drift detection systems, and automated quality monitoring at scale. Engineers working in regulated industries like healthcare and finance earn 12 to 20% premiums due to compliance requirements.
Junior AI data quality engineers earn $105,000 to $125,000. Engineers with 3 to 5 years of ML data quality experience reach $140,000 to $185,000. Senior engineers and quality team leads earn $190,000 to $248,000, while directors of data quality at enterprise AI companies can command $255,000 to $330,000. 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. Tech companies provide equity grants of 12 to 22% of base salary. Bonuses range from 10 to 15% annually. Some firms offer additional compensation for maintaining critical data quality SLAs, adding $5,000 to $12,000 for on-call responsibilities. 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 $136,000, 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 Data Quality Engineers in Houston runs from $102,000 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.