What is the career path for a AI Data Quality Engineer?

Junior AI data quality engineers earn $105,000 to $125,000. Salt Lake City's COL multiplier amplifies compensation at senior levels.

What certifications help AI Data Quality Engineers earn more in Salt Lake City?

Certifications add 5 to 15% to AI Data Quality Engineer salaries in Salt Lake City. They help bridge the gap between the median of $137,000 and the 75th percentile of $181,000.

AI Data Quality Engineer.

Salt Lake City.

$137,000

median salary, 2% below the national average

$103,000 to $181,000. Updated for 2026.

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The numbers.

Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.

A AI Data Quality Engineer in Salt Lake City earns a median of $137,000 in 2026. That is 2% below the national average. The range runs from $103,000 to $181,000, 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

25th Percentile

$103,000

per year

Median

$137,000

per year

75th Percentile

$181,000

per year

Tap to place your salary

$103,000$181,000

How Salt Lake City compares

Salt Lake City, UT

$137,000

Cost of living: 2% below average

National Average

$140,000

Salt Lake City is $3,000 below

What you should know

The AI Data Quality Engineer landscape in Salt Lake City is not what most salary sites will tell you. Salt Lake City anchors the Silicon Slopes tech corridor, home to companies like Qualtrics, Pluralsight, and Domo. The region has attracted significant venture investment and tech relocations. Utah's business friendly environment, young educated workforce, and outdoor lifestyle make it a rising destination for tech professionals seeking affordability without sacrificing career growth. 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 Salt Lake City, 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: utah has a flat 4.65% state income tax. Salt Lake City imposes no additional city income tax. The moderate rate combined with affordable living costs results in strong net compensation. When someone quotes you $137,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Reference Silicon Slopes growth when negotiating. Local employers are increasingly matching 85 to 95% of Seattle or Bay Area salaries to compete for tech talent. The range for AI Data Quality Engineers in Salt Lake City runs from $103,000 to $181,000. 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 Salt Lake City

Technology & SaaSHealthcareFinancial ServicesOutdoor RecreationAerospace

Negotiating in Salt Lake City

Reference Silicon Slopes growth when negotiating. Local employers are increasingly matching 85 to 95% of Seattle or Bay Area salaries to compete for tech talent.

Common questions.

Data quality is widely recognized as the most impactful factor in ML model performance, which is driving salary growth of 12 to 18% annually for this role. Companies that have experienced model failures due to data issues are especially willing to invest in quality engineering talent.

Great Expectations, Deequ, and TensorFlow Data Validation are foundational tools. Experience with custom drift detection, schema validation, and automated anomaly detection in data pipelines adds 8 to 15% to salary offers. Familiarity with data observability platforms like Monte Carlo is also valued.

Utah has a flat 4.65% state income tax. Salt Lake City imposes no additional city income tax. The moderate rate combined with affordable living costs results in strong net compensation. When comparing offers across states, your take home pay matters more than the number on the offer letter. A lower salary in a no income tax state can net more than a higher one elsewhere.

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 Salt Lake City, each step up the ladder is amplified by the local cost of living multiplier, which means senior roles pay proportionally more than in lower cost markets.

Relevant certifications can add 5 to 15% to a AI Data Quality Engineer's base salary in Salt Lake City. Specifically, ai data quality engineers ensure training and serving data meets standards for ml model reliability. In a market where the range spans $103,000 to $181,000, certifications often bridge the gap between the 50th and 75th percentile.