AI and Tech Salary Data by City (2026)

Salaries

Salaries by City.

AI and tech salaries across 81 U.S. metro areas.

Highest

$180,000

San Jose

Lowest

$101,000

Charleston

Spread

$79,000

Data updated May 2024

San Jose pays the highest median AI Engineer salary at $180,000, but Burlington delivers 6% more purchasing power after cost of living.

Top 10 Highest-Paying Cities for AI Engineers (Gross Salary, 2026)

Published data held: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings (a filed minimum visa base wage, not market pay). Cost-of-living adjusted via BEA Regional Price Parities.
#	City	State	AI Engineer Median	vs Q2 2026	COL Index	COL-Adjusted
1	San Jose	CA	$180,000	-25.3% ($-61,000)	1.38x	$130,435
2	Honolulu	HI	$178,000	-21.9% ($-50,000)	1.30x	$136,923
3	San Francisco	CA	$174,000	-26.3% ($-62,000)	1.35x	$128,889
4	New York	NY	$169,000	-24.6% ($-55,000)	1.28x	$132,031
5	Seattle	WA	$167,000	-23.0% ($-50,000)	1.24x	$134,677
6	Arlington	VA	$166,000	-22.4% ($-48,000)	1.22x	$136,066
7	Washington DC	DC	$165,000	-24.7% ($-54,000)	1.25x	$132,000
8	Jersey City	NJ	$161,000	-23.3% ($-49,000)	1.20x	$134,167
9	Newark	NJ	$160,000	-22.7% ($-47,000)	1.18x	$135,593
10	Princeton	NJ	$158,000	-21.4% ($-43,000)	1.15x	$137,391

Methodology

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.

Top 10 Best-Value Cities for AI Engineers (Cost-of-Living Adjusted, 2026)

Published data held: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings (a filed minimum visa base wage, not market pay). Cost-of-living adjusted via BEA Regional Price Parities.
#	City	State	COL-Adjusted Salary	vs Q2 2026	Gross Median	COL Index
1	Burlington	VT	$138,679	-21.0% ($-39,000)	$147,000	1.06x
2	Louisville	KY	$138,636	-20.8% ($-32,000)	$122,000	0.88x
3	Minneapolis	MN	$138,095	-21.2% ($-39,000)	$145,000	1.05x
4	St. Louis	MO	$137,778	-21.5% ($-34,000)	$124,000	0.90x
5	Albuquerque	NM	$137,500	-21.4% ($-33,000)	$121,000	0.88x
6	Albany	NY	$137,500	-21.4% ($-36,000)	$132,000	0.96x
7	Princeton	NJ	$137,391	-21.4% ($-43,000)	$158,000	1.15x
8	Des Moines	IA	$137,209	-21.9% ($-33,000)	$118,000	0.86x
9	Charlotte	NC	$137,113	-21.8% ($-37,000)	$133,000	0.97x
10	Honolulu	HI	$136,923	-21.9% ($-50,000)	$178,000	1.30x

Methodology

All 81 Cities

New York

Software Engineer median

$177,000

Salaries by City.

Top 10 Highest-Paying Cities for AI Engineers (Gross Salary, 2026)

Top 10 Best-Value Cities for AI Engineers (Cost-of-Living Adjusted, 2026)

All 81 Cities

Common questions

What is the highest-paying city for AI jobs in 2026?

Which city has the best salary-to-cost-of-living ratio for AI engineers?

How much do AI engineer salaries vary by city?

Which cities have the fastest-growing AI salaries?

Do AI engineers earn more in San Francisco or New York?

What is the average AI engineer salary in the United States?

Which US metro pays software developers the most?

Cite this data

Know what you're worth.

Salaries by City.

Top 10 Highest-Paying Cities for AI Engineers (Gross Salary, 2026)

Top 10 Best-Value Cities for AI Engineers (Cost-of-Living Adjusted, 2026)

All 81 Cities

Common questions

What is the highest-paying city for AI jobs in 2026?

Which city has the best salary-to-cost-of-living ratio for AI engineers?

How much do AI engineer salaries vary by city?

Which cities have the fastest-growing AI salaries?

Do AI engineers earn more in San Francisco or New York?

What is the average AI engineer salary in the United States?

Which US metro pays software developers the most?

Cite this data

Know what you're worth.