AI Financial Engineer.
Fargo.
$175,000
median salary, 17% below the national average
$129,000 to $225,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
AI Financial Engineer pay in Fargo ranges from $129,000 to $225,000 in 2026. The median is $175,000, 17% below the national average. Fargo has a surprisingly strong technology sector, home to companies like Microsoft's campus and a growing startup ecosystem tied to North Dakota State University. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. 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.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for AI Financial Engineer in Fargo, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $79,930 for Financial and Investment Analysts (SOC 13-2051) in the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan area, based on 160 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$51,750
25th percentile
$60,040
Median
$79,930
75th percentile
$97,550
90th percentile
$141,240
Workers surveyed
160
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $175,000 is 119% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Financial and Investment Analysts covers a different population than the AI Financial Engineer 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 Financial and Investment Analysts (SOC 13-2051) rather than AI Financial Engineer specifically. The Fargo 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 13-2051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $157,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$114,000
to $140,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$149,000
to $184,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$193,000
to $228,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$219,000
to $271,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $87,000 to the total package.
Base
$175,000
Equity
$53,000
Bonus
$23,000
Signing
$11,000
Estimated total: $262,000
How Fargo compares.
Fargo, ND
$175,000
Cost of living: 15% below average
National Average
$210,000
Fargo is $35,000 below
AI Financial Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Fargo.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for AI Financial Engineer roles in Fargo, here is what you are walking into. Fargo has a surprisingly strong technology sector, home to companies like Microsoft's campus and a growing startup ecosystem tied to North Dakota State University. The city's extremely low cost of living and emerging tech scene make it an increasingly attractive option for professionals seeking affordability. Pay depends on ability to apply ML models to quantitative finance problems like risk modeling, algorithmic trading, and fraud detection. Engineers combining deep finance domain expertise with advanced ML skills earn top-band compensation. Experience with real-time inference for trading systems and regulatory-compliant model development adds 20 to 30% to base salaries.
Junior quant ML engineers start at $120,000 to $150,000. AI financial engineers earn $155,000 to $210,000. Senior roles at top funds reach $250,000 to $350,000 base, and portfolio managers or heads of AI strategy at major firms command $500,000 to $1,000,000 or more in total compensation. In Fargo, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 15% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Performance bonuses at hedge funds and trading firms can range from 50 to 200% of base salary. Equity is less common in finance but deferred compensation plans are standard. Banks offer structured bonus pools tied to desk profitability. And on the tax side: north Dakota has a very low income tax with a top rate of just 2.5%. Fargo has no city income tax. The minimal tax burden combined with low living costs creates excellent take home pay. When someone quotes you $175,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight willingness to work on site. Fargo tech employers struggle to recruit talent to the region and reward candidates who commit to living locally. The range for AI Financial Engineers in Fargo runs from $129,000 to $225,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Supply Chain AI Optimization Engineer in Fargo earns $174,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Fargo is CTO at $258,000
- See all ai finance roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"AI Financial Engineer Salary in Fargo, ND." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ai-financial-engineer/fargo
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