AI Engineer salary at tech startups (October 2026)
The median posted salary for a AI Engineer at tech startups in United States is $200k a year (middle half $170k to $240k), based on 41 job postings from 27 companies that publish a pay range. 39% of these postings are remote.
$200kmedian, United States
$170k–$240kmiddle half (P25–P75)
41postings from 27 companies
39%remote postings
Ranks #123 of 454 startup roles by US median pay in this sample. That is 5% below the Software Engineer median ($210k). Company-balanced median (each company counted once): $200k. Average posted range: $175k to $244k.
AI Engineer pay by country
| Country | Median | P25 to P75 | Postings | Companies | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $200k | $170k to $240k | 41 | 27 | 39% |
| Multiple countries (USD) | $180k | $180k to $250k | 5 | 3 | 20% |
Yearly pay in local currency, from postings that publish a range (hourly x 2080, monthly x 12). Groups need at least 5 postings from 3 companies. Sales roles exclude on-target earnings, so these are base-pay figures.
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