As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead AI Engineer in Compton, IL is $168,703 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $81.
However, a Lead AI Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered HR
AI-Powered Talent
A Lead AI Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Lead AI Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Lead AI Engineer | $161,198 |
| Intermediate Level Lead AI Engineer | $162,273 |
| Senior Level Lead AI Engineer | $163,347 |
| Specialist Level Lead AI Engineer | $165,496 |
| Expert Level Lead AI Engineer | $168,289 |
What Am I Worth?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
| Skills | Demand Percentage |
|---|---|
| Analysis | 2.73% |
| Computer Science | 4.61% |
| Programming | 1.37% |
| Skill | Salary | Salary % Increase |
|---|---|---|
|
Active Learning
|
$188,947 |
12%
|
|
Data-Driven Decision-Making
|
$187,260 |
11%
|
|
Products and Services
|
$183,886 |
9%
|
|
Team Building
|
$178,825 |
6%
|
|
Data Structure
|
$178,825 |
6%
|
|
Team Development
|
$177,138 |
5%
|
Understanding how a Lead AI Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Last Updated on January 01, 2026For a Lead AI Engineer, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Algorithm Engineering Manager role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $169,400 - a projected growth of 0% over your current level.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Lead AI Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.
Explore Cost of Living CalculatorSalary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.
Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:
