Know your market value with insights across roles — from individual contributors to executive pay and overall company compensation trends.
Access a suite of powerful calculators to make data-driven career decisions.
Automate pay cycles, manage job architectures, and ensure pay equity with AI-powered compensation platforms.
Access validated salary benchmarks, labor market trends, and minimum wage data to stay competitive.
Participate in and purchase industry-specific salary surveys to obtain the most accurate, peer-reported pay data.
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead AI Engineer in Florida is $166,673 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $80.
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
2026 Compensation Trend
Recruit with AI
AI Onboarding
Lead AI Engineer Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $176,013 | $14,668 | $3,385 | $85 |
| Average | $166,673 | $13,889 | $3,205 | $80 |
| 25th Percentile | $152,393 | $12,699 | $2,931 | $73 |
PGTEK - Tampa, FL
LotSolutions, Inc. - Jacksonville, FL
iBusiness Funding - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Propy Inc. - Miami, FL
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, 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:
| Job Role | Years of Experience | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Algorithm Engineer | 4-7 years | $115,348 |
| Principal Algorithm Engineer | 7+ years | $149,840 |
| Lead AI Engineer | 7-10 years | $166,652 |
| Algorithm Engineering Manager | 10+ years | $167,415 |
| Algorithm Engineering Senior Manager | 10+ years | $188,263 |
What Am I Worth?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead AI Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
Lead AI Engineer salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $186,581. While startup companies pay approximate $157,843.
| Company Size | Employees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1~50 | $157,843 |
| Growth Stage | 51~500 | $166,938 |
| Established | 501~5000 | $180,177 |
| Enterprise | 5000+ | $186,581 |
For Lead AI Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Lead AI Engineer positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Lead AI Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
| Industry Sector | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Rate | Pay vs.Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | $200,008 | $96.0 | 20% |
| Energy & Utilities | $191,674 | $92.0 | 15% |
| Internet | $186,674 | $90.0 | 12% |
| Aerospace & Defense | $183,340 | $88.0 | 10% |
| Pharmaceuticals | $183,340 | $88.0 | 10% |
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.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $176,013 | $14,668 | $3,385 | $85 |
| Average | $166,673 | $13,889 | $3,205 | $80 |
| 25th Percentile | $152,393 | $12,699 | $2,931 | $73 |
For a Lead AI Engineer, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Artificial Intelligence Engineer VI role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $186,600 - a projected growth of 12% 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.
Sauce
Miami, FL
Sauce | Miami, FL
Job Description. Job Description. Sauce is a premier restaurant technology platform that helps businesses grow with our Commission-Free Delivery & Pickup s... more
4 Days Ago
Capco
Orlando, FL
Capco | Orlando, FL
AI DevOps Engineer (AWS) Location: Orlando, FL (Hybrid) | Practice Area: Technology & Engineering | Type: Permanent, Full-Time Build the cloud platforms po... more
4 Days Ago
The SilverLogic
Boca Raton, FL
The SilverLogic | Boca Raton, FL
Job Description. Job Description. Salary. BRDGIT is the AI consulting and implementation brand of The SilverLogic, a Boca Raton based custom software devel... more
5 Days Ago
Sauce
Miami, FL
Sauce | Miami, FL
Job Description. Job Description. Sauce is a premier restaurant technology platform that helps businesses grow with our Commission-Free Delivery & Pickup s... more
5 Days Ago
IntelePeer
Dania Beach, FL
IntelePeer | Dania Beach, FL
Job Description. Job Description. About IntelePeer.ai. IntelePeer is a healthcare-focused AI communications platform that powers AI voice agents and intell... more
5 Days Ago
Vitaver
Florida, FL
Vitaver | Florida, FL
14824 – AI Software Engineer (onsite) – Palm Beach Gardens, FL Start Date : ASAP Type: Temporary Project Estimated Duration : 12 months with possible exten... more
5 Days Ago
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:
