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AI Financial Engineer.

Phoenix.

$208,000

median salary, 1% below the national average

$153,000 to $267,000. Last updated August 2026.

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Data points to own the conversation.

AI Financial Engineer pay in Phoenix ranges from $153,000 to $267,000 in 2026. The median is $208,000, 1% below the national average. Phoenix is one of the fastest growing metros in the U. 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.

25th Percentile

$153,000

per year

Median

$208,000

per year

75th Percentile

$267,000

per year

Where do you fall?

$153,000$267,000

Orbyt estimate for AI Financial Engineer in Phoenix, 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 $94,700 for Financial and Investment Analysts (SOC 13-2051) in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan area, based on 4,510 employed workers (May 2025 release).

10th percentile

$62,610

25th percentile

$76,000

Median

$94,700

75th percentile

$122,650

90th percentile

$161,650

Workers surveyed

4,510

Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $208,000 is 120% 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 Phoenix 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 13-2051

Salary by experience.

The gap between entry and lead level is typically $187,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.

Entry (0-2 yrs)

$135,000

to $166,000

Mid (3-5 yrs)

$177,000

to $218,000

Senior (6-9 yrs)

$229,000

to $270,000

Lead (10+ yrs)

$260,000

to $322,000

Total compensation.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $101,000 to the total package.

Base

$208,000

Equity

$62,000

Bonus

$27,000

Signing

$12,000

Estimated total: $309,000

How Phoenix compares.

Phoenix, AZ

$208,000

Cost of living: 4% below average

National Average

$210,000

Phoenix is $2,000 below

AI Financial Engineer salary by city.

AI Financial Engineer salary comparison across 10 cities
CityMedianRangeCOLAdjusted
San Jose, CA$298,000$220,000 to $384,0001.38x$216,000
San Francisco, CA$281,000$207,000 to $361,0001.35x$208,000
Honolulu, HI$281,000$208,000 to $362,0001.30x$216,000
New York, NY$280,000$206,000 to $359,0001.28x$219,000
Seattle, WA$258,000$190,000 to $331,0001.24x$208,000
San Diego, CA$256,000$189,000 to $329,0001.17x$219,000
Washington DC, DC$252,000$186,000 to $324,0001.25x$202,000
Los Angeles, CA$250,000$185,000 to $322,0001.18x$212,000
Newark, NJ$250,000$185,000 to $322,0001.18x$212,000
Phoenix, AZ$208,000$153,000 to $267,0000.96x$217,000

See all 81 cities for AI Financial Engineer →

Salary by role in Phoenix.

Salary comparison by role in Phoenix
RoleMedianRange
CTO$279,000$218,000 to $363,000
General Counsel$271,000$211,000 to $353,000
CEO$264,000$192,000 to $365,000
Drug Discovery AI Researcher$211,000$165,000 to $274,000
Grid Optimization AI Specialist$210,000$164,000 to $273,000
AI Financial Engineer$208,000$153,000 to $267,000
AI Risk Analytics Engineer$206,000$161,000 to $269,000
AI Protein Structure Specialist$203,000$159,000 to $264,000

What you should know.

If you are interviewing for AI Financial Engineer roles in Phoenix, here is what you are walking into. Phoenix is one of the fastest growing metros in the U.S., fueled by semiconductor manufacturing, financial services, and tech company expansions. Intel, TSMC, and other chipmakers have made massive investments in the area. The combination of affordable housing and rising salaries has made Phoenix increasingly attractive to relocating professionals. 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 Phoenix, 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. 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: arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax rate, one of the lowest in the nation. Phoenix has no additional city income tax, making overall take home pay very competitive. When someone quotes you $208,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Reference the influx of semiconductor and tech employers to justify higher offers. Phoenix salaries are rising fast, and employers know they must compete with coastal recruiters. The range for AI Financial Engineers in Phoenix runs from $153,000 to $267,000. 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

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$

25th

$153,000

Median

$208,000

75th

$267,000

Considering a related role?

Common questions.

Base salaries are 10 to 20% higher at hedge funds, but the real difference is in bonuses. Top-performing AI engineers at quantitative funds can earn 2x to 4x their base salary in annual bonuses, far exceeding typical tech company equity-based compensation.

Derivatives pricing, market microstructure, and credit risk modeling expertise combined with ML skills command the highest premiums. Engineers who can build models that directly generate alpha or reduce risk exposure are compensated based on measurable financial impact.

The national median for an AI Financial Engineer is $216,667. In Phoenix, cost of living adjustments push the median to $208,000. That discount reflects Phoenix's lower housing, transportation, and everyday costs.

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. In Phoenix's market, the base range of $153,000 to $267,000 is just the starting point for negotiation.

In 2026, the average AI Financial Engineer salary in Phoenix, AZ is $208,000. The estimated range runs from $153,000 to $267,000. Where you land depends on your experience, the company's size, and the specific skills you bring.

Remote work has compressed geographic salary premiums for AI Financial Engineers. Some Phoenix employers offer location adjusted pay, while others maintain local rates to attract in office talent. In Phoenix's moderate cost market, remote and local salaries are converging. The $153,000 to $267,000 range reflects both arrangements.

Ask about equity structure, vesting schedule, annual bonus targets, 401(k) match, health insurance premiums, PTO policy, and remote flexibility. Performance bonuses at hedge funds and trading firms can range from 50 to 200% of base salary. In Phoenix's market, these extras can add $52,000 or more on top of the base salary.

AI Financial Engineer salary in other cities.

Other salaries in Phoenix.

Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to AI Financial Engineers in Phoenix.

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"AI Financial Engineer Salary in Phoenix, AZ." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ai-financial-engineer/phoenix

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