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AI Financial Engineer.

Tampa.

$206,000

median salary, 2% below the national average

$152,000 to $264,000. Last updated August 2026.

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Data points to own the conversation.

Orbyt estimates AI Financial Engineer pay in Tampa at $206,000, within a range of $152,000 to $264,000. That is 2% below the national average. Tampa's economy combines a strong financial services sector with growing tech, healthcare, and defense industries. 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

$152,000

per year

Median

$206,000

per year

75th Percentile

$264,000

per year

Where do you fall?

$152,000$264,000

Orbyt estimate for AI Financial Engineer in Tampa, 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 $79,910 for Financial and Investment Analysts (SOC 13-2051) in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan area, based on 5,370 employed workers (May 2025 release).

10th percentile

$61,370

25th percentile

$65,110

Median

$79,910

75th percentile

$106,460

90th percentile

$132,030

Workers surveyed

5,370

Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $206,000 is 158% 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 Tampa 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 $185,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.

Entry (0-2 yrs)

$134,000

to $165,000

Mid (3-5 yrs)

$175,000

to $216,000

Senior (6-9 yrs)

$227,000

to $268,000

Lead (10+ yrs)

$258,000

to $319,000

Total compensation.

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

Base

$206,000

Equity

$62,000

Bonus

$27,000

Signing

$12,000

Estimated total: $307,000

How Tampa compares.

Tampa, FL

$206,000

Cost of living: 4% below average

National Average

$210,000

Tampa is $4,000 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
Tampa, FL$206,000$152,000 to $264,0000.96x$215,000

See all 81 cities for AI Financial Engineer →

Salary by role in Tampa.

Salary comparison by role in Tampa
RoleMedianRange
General Counsel$280,000$218,000 to $363,000
CTO$276,000$216,000 to $359,000
CEO$264,000$192,000 to $365,000
AI Protein Structure Specialist$209,000$163,000 to $272,000
AI Risk Analytics Engineer$208,000$163,000 to $271,000
AI Financial Engineer$206,000$152,000 to $264,000
Distinguished Engineer$206,000$180,000 to $242,000
Supply Chain AI Optimization Engineer$205,000$160,000 to $267,000

What you should know.

Before you negotiate an AI Financial Engineer offer in Tampa, understand the terrain. Tampa's economy combines a strong financial services sector with growing tech, healthcare, and defense industries. The city has attracted remote workers and corporate relocations seeking Florida's tax advantages. Tampa offers a favorable salary to cost of living ratio, with compensation levels that have risen significantly as the metro continues to grow. 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 Tampa, 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: florida has no state income tax, which is Tampa's biggest compensation advantage. There are no local income taxes either. Property taxes and insurance costs are the main financial considerations. When someone quotes you $206,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Frame your salary expectations against the no income tax benefit. Tampa employers know candidates are factoring in the tax savings, so be explicit about how it shapes your number. The range for AI Financial Engineers in Tampa runs from $152,000 to $264,000. 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

$152,000

Median

$206,000

75th

$264,000

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 $214,583. In Tampa, cost of living adjustments push the median to $206,000. That discount reflects Tampa's lower housing, transportation, and everyday costs.

Tampa's economy combines a strong financial services sector with growing tech, healthcare, and defense industries. The city has attracted remote workers and corporate relocations seeking Florida's tax advantages. For AI Financial Engineers specifically, pay depends on ability to apply ml models to quantitative finance problems like risk modeling, algorithmic trading, and fraud detection, which signals sustained demand. The current compensation range of $152,000 to $264,000 reflects a market that is competing for talent.

Florida has no state income tax, which is Tampa's biggest compensation advantage. There are no local income taxes either. Property taxes and insurance costs are the main financial considerations. When comparing offers across states, your take home pay matters more than the number on the offer letter. A lower salary in a no income tax state can net more than a higher one elsewhere.

AI Financial Engineer hiring in Tampa typically involves three to five rounds: a recruiter screen, a technical or skills assessment, one or two team interviews, and a final conversation with leadership. Companies in Tampa's Financial Services sector may add domain specific evaluations. The process usually takes two to four weeks. Prepare by researching the company and practicing with Orbyt's Interview Prep tool.

AI Financial Engineer salary in other cities.

Other salaries in Tampa.

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

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