Salaries

Junior Machine Learning Engineer Salary.

Across 81 U.S. cities.

$83,000

estimated national base salary

$70,000 to $97,000. Last updated September 2026.

Orbyt prices 8 titles at this same figure, including Junior Machine Learning Engineer, Junior Data Scientist, and Junior Deep Learning Engineer. Orbyt does not hold title-level wage data that would separate them.

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Government benchmark for this occupation

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $120,230 for Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) across the United States, based on 262,440 employed workers (May 2025 release).

10th percentile

$67,240

25th percentile

$85,660

Median

$120,230

75th percentile

$158,880

90th percentile

$199,130

Workers surveyed

262,440

What BLS published in each release

May 2024 release

$112,590

May 2025 release

$120,230

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 $83,000 is 31% lower than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Data Scientists covers a different population than the Junior Machine Learning 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 Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) rather than Junior Machine Learning Engineer 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 15-2051

Highest Paying

$117,000

San Jose, CA

Best Purchasing Power

$87,000

Miami, FL

Lowest Paying

$65,000

Jackson, MS

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 15-2051. Full methodology.

Orbyt estimates the average Junior Machine Learning Engineer salary in the United States at $83,000 in 2026, within a range of $70,000 to $97,000. 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. This figure is not specific to this title: Orbyt prices 8 titles at the same estimate. San Jose is the highest of the 81 cities at $117,000, while Miami offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation for Junior Machine Learning Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack.

Junior Machine Learning Engineer salary by city.

Salary comparison across 81 cities
CityMedianRangeCOLAdjustedRank
San Jose, CA$117,000$99,000 to $137,0001.38x$85,000#3255 of 3445
San Francisco, CA$110,000$93,000 to $128,0001.35x$81,000#3271 of 3445
Honolulu, HI$110,000$93,000 to $129,0001.30x$85,000#3258 of 3445
New York, NY$109,000$92,000 to $128,0001.28x$85,000#3255 of 3445
Washington DC, DC$108,000$91,000 to $126,0001.25x$86,000#3251 of 3445
Arlington, VA$105,000$89,000 to $123,0001.22x$86,000#3247 of 3445
Boston, MA$103,000$87,000 to $121,0001.22x$84,000#3257 of 3445
Seattle, WA$100,000$84,000 to $117,0001.24x$81,000#3275 of 3445
San Diego, CA$100,000$84,000 to $117,0001.17x$85,000#3252 of 3445
Jersey City, NJ$100,000$84,000 to $116,0001.20x$83,000#3262 of 3445
Princeton, NJ$99,000$84,000 to $116,0001.15x$86,000#3249 of 3445
Los Angeles, CA$98,000$83,000 to $114,0001.18x$83,000#3262 of 3445
Miami, FL$97,000$82,000 to $113,0001.12x$87,000#3246 of 3445
Newark, NJ$96,000$81,000 to $112,0001.18x$81,000#3269 of 3445
Philadelphia, PA$94,000$79,000 to $110,0001.09x$86,000#3249 of 3445
Denver, CO$92,000$78,000 to $108,0001.08x$85,000#3254 of 3445
Boulder, CO$92,000$77,000 to $107,0001.15x$80,000#3281 of 3445
Anchorage, AK$91,000$77,000 to $106,0001.13x$81,000#3278 of 3445
Portland, ME$91,000$76,000 to $106,0001.05x$87,000#3248 of 3445
Minneapolis, MN$90,000$76,000 to $105,0001.05x$86,000#3252 of 3445
Baltimore, MD$90,000$76,000 to $105,0001.08x$83,000#3264 of 3445
Burlington, VT$89,000$75,000 to $104,0001.06x$84,000#3259 of 3445
Sacramento, CA$89,000$75,000 to $103,0001.10x$81,000#3271 of 3445
Portland, OR$88,000$74,000 to $102,0001.10x$80,000#3274 of 3445
Manchester, NH$88,000$74,000 to $103,0001.06x$83,000#3259 of 3445
Hartford, CT$87,000$73,000 to $102,0001.08x$81,000#3273 of 3445
Chicago, IL$86,000$73,000 to $101,0001.07x$80,000#3275 of 3445
Austin, TX$86,000$73,000 to $101,0001.03x$83,000#3258 of 3445
Dallas, TX$86,000$72,000 to $100,0001.01x$85,000#3253 of 3445
Providence, RI$86,000$73,000 to $101,0001.04x$83,000#3265 of 3445
Ann Arbor, MI$85,000$71,000 to $99,0001.02x$83,000#3259 of 3445
Raleigh, NC$84,000$71,000 to $98,0000.99x$85,000#3255 of 3445
Wilmington, DE$83,000$70,000 to $97,0001.02x$81,000#3271 of 3445
Atlanta, GA$82,000$69,000 to $96,0001.02x$80,000#3275 of 3445
Salt Lake City, UT$82,000$69,000 to $96,0000.98x$84,000#3257 of 3445
Las Vegas, NV$82,000$69,000 to $96,0000.96x$85,000#3252 of 3445
Reno, NV$82,000$69,000 to $96,0000.96x$85,000#3253 of 3445
Nashville, TN$81,000$68,000 to $94,0001.00x$81,000#3266 of 3445
Charleston, SC$81,000$69,000 to $95,0000.98x$83,000#3265 of 3445
Virginia Beach, VA$81,000$68,000 to $94,0000.98x$83,000#3264 of 3445
Phoenix, AZ$80,000$68,000 to $94,0000.96x$83,000#3264 of 3445
Charlotte, NC$80,000$67,000 to $93,0000.97x$82,000#3260 of 3445
Tampa, FL$80,000$68,000 to $94,0000.96x$83,000#3260 of 3445
Richmond, VA$80,000$68,000 to $94,0001.01x$79,000#3282 of 3445
Orlando, FL$80,000$68,000 to $94,0000.95x$84,000#3255 of 3445
Madison, WI$80,000$68,000 to $94,0000.95x$84,000#3260 of 3445
Kansas City, MO$79,000$66,000 to $92,0000.93x$85,000#3256 of 3445
Boise, ID$79,000$67,000 to $92,0000.95x$83,000#3259 of 3445
New Orleans, LA$79,000$67,000 to $93,0000.92x$86,000#3250 of 3445
Albany, NY$79,000$67,000 to $92,0000.96x$82,000#3262 of 3445
San Antonio, TX$79,000$66,000 to $92,0000.91x$87,000#3249 of 3445
Houston, TX$78,000$66,000 to $91,0000.97x$80,000#3276 of 3445
Columbus, OH$78,000$66,000 to $91,0000.93x$84,000#3260 of 3445
North Charleston, SC$77,000$65,000 to $90,0000.94x$82,000#3264 of 3445
Pittsburgh, PA$76,000$64,000 to $88,0000.92x$83,000#3263 of 3445
Columbus, OH$76,000$64,000 to $88,0000.93x$82,000#3265 of 3445
Milwaukee, WI$76,000$64,000 to $89,0000.91x$84,000#3255 of 3445
Baton Rouge, LA$76,000$64,000 to $89,0000.88x$86,000#3249 of 3445
Albuquerque, NM$75,000$63,000 to $87,0000.88x$85,000#3255 of 3445
Indianapolis, IN$74,000$62,000 to $87,0000.91x$81,000#3269 of 3445
St. Louis, MO$74,000$62,000 to $86,0000.90x$82,000#3266 of 3445
Cincinnati, OH$73,000$62,000 to $86,0000.90x$81,000#3270 of 3445
Spokane, WA$73,000$62,000 to $86,0000.92x$79,000#3284 of 3445
Detroit, MI$72,000$61,000 to $85,0000.90x$80,000#3276 of 3445
Sioux Falls, SD$72,000$61,000 to $84,0000.85x$85,000#3254 of 3445
Columbia, SC$72,000$61,000 to $85,0000.90x$80,000#3279 of 3445
Knoxville, TN$72,000$60,000 to $84,0000.89x$81,000#3268 of 3445
Birmingham, AL$71,000$60,000 to $83,0000.84x$85,000#3255 of 3445
Little Rock, AR$71,000$60,000 to $83,0000.82x$87,000#3248 of 3445
Louisville, KY$71,000$60,000 to $83,0000.88x$81,000#3274 of 3445
Omaha, NE$71,000$60,000 to $83,0000.88x$81,000#3271 of 3445
Lexington, KY$71,000$60,000 to $83,0000.86x$83,000#3261 of 3445
Wichita, KS$70,000$59,000 to $82,0000.82x$85,000#3254 of 3445
Des Moines, IA$69,000$58,000 to $80,0000.86x$80,000#3280 of 3445
Oklahoma City, OK$69,000$58,000 to $81,0000.84x$82,000#3269 of 3445
Cheyenne, WY$69,000$58,000 to $81,0000.87x$79,000#3280 of 3445
Des Moines, IA$69,000$58,000 to $80,0000.86x$80,000#3274 of 3445
Fargo, ND$68,000$58,000 to $80,0000.85x$80,000#3276 of 3445
Charleston, WV$66,000$56,000 to $77,0000.78x$85,000#3254 of 3445
Tulsa, OK$66,000$56,000 to $77,0000.83x$80,000#3282 of 3445
Jackson, MS$65,000$55,000 to $76,0000.79x$82,000#3262 of 3445

Skills that increase Junior Machine Learning Engineer pay.

The premiums below are Orbyt's modelled scenarios for Junior Machine Learning Engineers, not effects measured from job postings: each is a fixed percentage applied to the estimated base. At the top premium that works out to $11,620 a year.

LLM Fine-Tuning+14%

≈ +$11,620 per year

Reinforcement Learning+13%

≈ +$10,790 per year

CUDA+12%

≈ +$9,960 per year

RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)+11%

≈ +$9,130 per year

Transformers+10%

≈ +$8,300 per year

Rust+10%

≈ +$8,300 per year

Vector Databases+10%

≈ +$8,300 per year

PyTorch+9%

≈ +$7,470 per year

What you should know.

Compensation for Junior Machine Learning Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Signing bonuses near $13K are standard for lateral hires and reset every 2 to 4 years. Within tech-sector Junior Machine Learning Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.

Junior Machine Learning Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. Junior Machine Learning Engineers specifically are entry-level; the first 2 to 3 years build foundational skills before the mid-level transition.

Total compensation for Junior Machine Learning Engineers includes a meaningful signing bonus near $13K, which resets every 2 to 4 years for lateral hires. Base plus bonus (15% of base at target) forms the bulk of ongoing annual comp; signing bonuses are best thought of as a 4-year amortized component. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included.

Total compensation breakdown.

Base Salary
$83,000
Equity / Year
$32,000
Annual Bonus
15%
$12,000
Signing Bonus
$13,000
Total Comp
$127,000

Salary by company size

Startup
< 50 employees
$75,000
Growth
50-500 employees
$79,000
Scale-up
500-5K employees
$83,000
Public
5K+ employees
$100,000

Remote salary adjustment

Remote Junior Machine Learning Engineers typically earn $77,000 (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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Related.

Common questions about Junior Machine Learning Engineer pay.

Orbyt estimates the national median Junior Machine Learning Engineer salary at $83,000 in 2026, within a range of $70,000 to $97,000. This is a computed estimate, not a measured wage. Where you land depends on your experience, skills, the company's size, and your location.

Entry level Junior Machine Learning Engineers (0 to 2 years) typically earn $54,000 to $66,000. Mid level (3 to 5 years) run $71,000 to $87,000. Senior (6 to 9 years) reach $91,000 to $108,000, and lead level (10 plus years) $104,000 to $129,000.

Total compensation for Junior Machine Learning Engineers includes a meaningful signing bonus near $13K, which resets every 2 to 4 years for lateral hires. Base plus bonus (15% of base at target) forms the bulk of ongoing annual comp; signing bonuses are best thought of as a 4-year amortized component. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers, two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included.

With a national median of $83,000 and senior pay reaching $108,000 to $129,000, Junior Machine Learning Engineer is a well compensated field. Pay varies by city, so compare cost of living adjusted numbers before judging any single offer.

Entry level Junior Machine Learning Engineer roles start around $54,000 to $66,000. Candidates with strong internships, certifications, or portfolio work often negotiate toward the national median of $83,000.

Anchor your ask near the top of the range at $97,000 so you have room to settle around the $83,000 median. Bring specific data about your impact, and never accept the first number without a conversation.

You have the data.

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