AI/ML Data Analyst.
Austin.
$129,000
median salary, 3% above the national average
$98,000 to $170,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
If you are evaluating a AI/ML Data Analyst offer in Austin, TX, here is the reality: $98,000 to $170,000, with $129,000 as the midpoint. 3% above the national average. Compensation varies based on proficiency with ML-specific data pipelines, feature engineering, and model evaluation metrics. Do not accept the first number.
Salary range
Tap to place your salary
How Austin compares
Austin, TX
$129,000
Cost of living: 3% above average
National Average
$125,000
Austin is $4,000 above
What you should know
The AI/ML Data Analyst landscape in Austin is not what most salary sites will tell you. Austin has transformed into one of America's fastest growing tech hubs, attracting relocations from Apple, Tesla, Oracle, and Samsung. The city's combination of no state income tax, a vibrant startup scene, and a strong university pipeline makes it highly competitive. Salaries have risen sharply over the past five years, narrowing the gap with coastal cities. Compensation varies based on proficiency with ML-specific data pipelines, feature engineering, and model evaluation metrics. Analysts who can build automated data quality monitoring for training datasets earn more. Experience with large-scale data platforms like Databricks or Snowflake adds 10 to 15% to offers.
Junior ML data analysts start at $70,000 to $90,000. Mid-level analysts earn $95,000 to $125,000. Senior analysts reach $140,000 to $165,000, and those who transition into ML engineering or data science roles can exceed $180,000 to $220,000. In Austin, 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. Bonuses typically range from 5 to 15% of base salary. Equity is less common than in pure engineering roles but increasingly offered at AI-first startups, usually valued at $10,000 to $30,000 annually. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax, which can mean 5 to 10% more take home pay compared to California roles. Property taxes are above average, however, running about 1.8% of home value. When someone quotes you $129,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the no income tax advantage as a negotiation lever. Ask employers to match 90% of a Bay Area offer and show that your net pay will actually be higher. The range for AI/ML Data Analysts in Austin runs from $98,000 to $170,000. 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 Austin
Negotiating in Austin
Use the no income tax advantage as a negotiation lever. Ask employers to match 90% of a Bay Area offer and show that your net pay will actually be higher.