Salary Data
Machine Learning Engineer Salary in Salt Lake City
$152,000
median salary, 2% below the national average
According to Orbyt's 2026 salary analysis, the average Machine Learning Engineer salary in Salt Lake City is $152,000. Salaries range from $118,000 (25th percentile) to $196,000 (75th percentile), adjusted for Salt Lake City's cost of living.
Salary range
How Salt Lake City compares
Salt Lake City, UT
$152,000
Cost of living: 2% below average
National Average
$155,000
Salt Lake City is $3,000 below
Machine Learning Engineer job market in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City market overview
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.
What drives Machine Learning Engineer salaries
Production ML experience, deep learning framework fluency, and ability to optimize models for scale are the strongest differentiators. Engineers who bridge research and production by deploying models that serve millions of predictions per day command significant premiums. Specialization in recommendation systems, search ranking, or fraud detection adds further value.
Beyond base salary
Total compensation
Equity at AI focused companies adds $30,000 to $150,000+ annually. Bonuses of 10 to 20% are standard. Signing bonuses of $25,000 to $75,000 are common at well funded firms. Benefits frequently include GPU compute budgets, conference sponsorship, and research publication support.
Tax considerations in Salt Lake City
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.
Career progression
Entry level ML engineers start at $110,000 to $140,000, reaching mid level at $145,000 to $190,000 in two to three years. Senior ML engineers earn $190,000 to $260,000. Staff ML engineers at top companies exceed $350,000 in total compensation, with research oriented roles paying even more.
Top industries in Salt Lake City
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.