AI Annotation Lead Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$55,000
estimated national base salary
$49,000 to $63,000. Last updated September 2026.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $41,340 for Data Entry Keyers (SOC 43-9021) across the United States, based on 127,080 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$31,200
25th percentile
$35,760
Median
$41,340
75th percentile
$48,410
90th percentile
$58,790
Workers surveyed
127,080
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$39,850
May 2025 release
$41,340
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $55,000 is 33% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Data Entry Keyers covers a different population than the AI Annotation Lead title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Data Entry Keyers (SOC 43-9021) rather than AI Annotation Lead specifically. The national range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 43-9021Highest Paying
$75,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$58,000
Pittsburgh, PA
Lowest Paying
$44,000
Charleston, WV
The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers. Last updated September 2026. This role maps to BLS occupation code 43-9021. Full methodology.
Orbyt estimates the average AI Annotation Lead salary in the United States at $55,000 in 2026, within a range of $49,000 to $63,000. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page. San Jose is the highest of the 81 cities at $75,000, while Pittsburgh offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. AI annotation leads manage labeling teams and define annotation guidelines for ML training data.
AI Annotation Lead salary by city.
Skills that increase AI Annotation Lead pay.
The premiums below are Orbyt's modelled scenarios for AI Annotation Leads, not effects measured from job postings: each is a fixed percentage applied to the estimated base. At the top premium that works out to $7,700 a year.
≈ +$7,700 per year
≈ +$7,150 per year
≈ +$6,600 per year
≈ +$6,050 per year
≈ +$5,500 per year
≈ +$5,500 per year
≈ +$5,500 per year
≈ +$4,950 per year
What you should know.
AI annotation leads manage labeling teams and define annotation guidelines for ML training data. Salary variance is driven by domain complexity, with medical imaging and autonomous driving annotation commanding 20 to 30% premiums over general text or image labeling. Team size and ability to maintain quality at scale also influence compensation.
Junior annotation leads start at $72,000 to $85,000. Leads managing teams of 10 to 30 annotators earn $98,000 to $132,000. Senior leads and annotation operations managers reach $138,000 to $180,000, while directors of annotation operations at large AI data companies can command $185,000 to $240,000.
AI startups offer equity of 0.02 to 0.1% for annotation leads. Annual bonuses range from 5 to 12%. Some companies provide project completion bonuses of $3,000 to $10,000 for delivering high-quality annotated datasets on schedule for critical model training milestones.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote AI Annotation Leads typically earn $51,000 (7% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
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Common questions about AI Annotation Lead pay.
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