Where AI and tech salaries are headed. Year-by-year projections for 3445 roles based on modeled growth.
Data updated
Projected Total Compensation
Modeled projection from the 2026 estimate, 2026-2030
Projected Total Compensation: Modeled projection from the 2026 estimate, 2026-2030
Role
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
Prompt Engineer
$133k
$141k
$149k
$158k
$168k
AI Product Manager
$170k
$180k
$191k
$202k
$215k
LLM Engineer
$133k
$141k
$149k
$158k
$168k
Roles
Prompt Engineer$168k
AI Product Manager$215k
LLM Engineer$168k
The Projected Leader
AI Engineer national median is projected to grow from $133,000 in 2026 to $168,000 by 2030. That is +26% total growth.
Tech salary projections 2026 to 2030
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.
Role
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
Growth
AI Engineer
$133,000
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
+26%
ML Engineer
$133,000
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
+26%
AI Research Scientist
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
$178,000
+26%
Deep Learning Engineer
$113,000
$120,000
$127,000
$135,000
$143,000
+27%
LLM Engineer
$133,000
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
+26%
NLP Engineer
$133,000
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
+26%
Computer Vision Engineer
$133,000
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
+26%
Prompt Engineer
$133,000
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
+26%
Data Scientist
$113,000
$120,000
$127,000
$135,000
$143,000
+27%
AI Infrastructure Engineer
$133,000
$141,000
$149,000
$158,000
$168,000
+26%
MLOps Engineer
$133,000
$137,000
$141,000
$145,000
$150,000
+13%
Staff Software Engineer
$210,000
$216,000
$223,000
$229,000
$236,000
+12%
Senior Software Engineer
$169,000
$174,000
$179,000
$185,000
$190,000
+12%
Software Engineer
$133,000
$137,000
$141,000
$145,000
$150,000
+13%
DevOps Engineer
$133,000
$137,000
$141,000
$145,000
$150,000
+13%
Cloud Architect
$130,000
$134,000
$138,000
$142,000
$146,000
+12%
Cybersecurity Engineer
$125,000
$129,000
$133,000
$137,000
$141,000
+13%
Product Manager
$140,000
$144,000
$149,000
$153,000
$158,000
+13%
Director of Engineering
$267,000
$275,000
$283,000
$292,000
$301,000
+13%
Chief Technology Officer
$290,000
$299,000
$308,000
$317,000
$326,000
+12%
Data Engineer
$136,000
$140,000
$144,000
$149,000
$153,000
+13%
Site Reliability Engineer
$133,000
$137,000
$141,000
$145,000
$150,000
+13%
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.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Orbyt Intelligence. Salary Projections 2026 to 2030. Last updated May 2024. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/projections
Projection FAQ
Projections apply one flat annual growth assumption, compounded, to the current salary estimate. AI and machine learning roles use 6 percent a year. Every other role uses 3 percent. Those two rates are assumptions we chose, not measurements, and no other input varies them, so every figure in the table can be reproduced with a calculator.
We assume 6 percent a year for AI and machine learning roles against 3 percent for everything else, which is double. That is a judgement about limited supply of experienced AI talent and competitive pressure between the large AI labs, not a measured differential. If the assumption is wrong, every AI figure on this page is wrong with it.
No. Projections are extrapolations from a modeled growth assumption, not observed history. Actual salaries can be affected by recessions, AI hype cycles, layoffs, offshoring, changes in stock-based comp, and shifts in demand. Use projections for career planning and negotiation context, not as guaranteed outcomes.
AI Research Scientist, Deep Learning Engineer, and LLM Engineer lead growth at roughly 9 to 10 percent annually. By 2030, a Senior AI Research Scientist at a top AI lab could earn more than $550K base salary plus significant equity, pushing total compensation well above $1M per year.
Historical precedent suggests yes, eventually. Dot-com era engineer salaries peaked in 2000 and fell 15 to 20 percent by 2003. However, AI demand is structurally different with revenue growth supporting comp, not just speculation. A correction of 10 to 15 percent is possible by 2028 to 2030, but sustained growth from current levels is the base case.
Yes. Orbyt data is available via our Salary Intelligence API. The free tier includes 60 requests per minute and 1,000 a month, with no card. Pro at $99/month adds the MCP server, the /lineage provenance endpoint, and 300 requests per minute. Ultra at $199/month adds 1,500 requests per minute, the company leveling catalog, and dedicated support.
Key Fact
Through 2030
annual forecast horizon
Orbyt models AI and tech salary projections through 2030 using BLS OES wage percentiles plus the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024-2034 projections.