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 September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer in Virginia is $140,020 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $67.
However, a Senior Machine Learning 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
Smart Recruiting
AI-Powered Talent
Senior Machine Learning Engineer Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $150,740 | $12,562 | $2,899 | $72 |
| Average | $140,020 | $11,668 | $2,693 | $67 |
| 25th Percentile | $131,500 | $10,958 | $2,529 | $63 |
Capital one - McLean, VA
STR - Arlington, VA
Capital One - Pimmit, VA
Capital One - Pimmit, VA
A Senior Machine Learning 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 Senior Machine Learning 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Algorithm Engineer I | 0-2 years | $104,455 |
| Algorithm Engineer II | 2-4 years | $116,154 |
| Senior Machine Learning Engineer | 4-7 years | $140,019 |
| Principal Algorithm Engineer | 7+ years | $164,185 |
| Lead Algorithm Engineer | 7-10 years | $194,728 |
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 Senior Machine Learning 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:
Senior Machine Learning Engineer salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $156,478. While startup companies pay approximate $132,365.
| Company Size | Employees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1~50 | $132,365 |
| Growth Stage | 51~500 | $139,989 |
| Established | 501~5000 | $151,100 |
| Enterprise | 5000+ | $156,478 |
For Senior Machine Learning Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Senior Machine Learning Engineer positions in Transportation or Media typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Senior Machine Learning Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
| Industry Sector | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Rate | Pay vs.Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceuticals | $196,028 | $94.0 | 40% |
| Biotechnology | $175,025 | $84.0 | 25% |
| Financial Services | $175,025 | $84.0 | 25% |
| Insurance | $161,023 | $77.0 | 15% |
| Energy & Utilities | $154,022 | $74.0 | 10% |
Understanding how a Senior Machine Learning 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 | $150,740 | $12,562 | $2,899 | $72 |
| Average | $140,020 | $11,668 | $2,693 | $67 |
| 25th Percentile | $131,500 | $10,958 | $2,529 | $63 |
For a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Principal Algorithm Engineer role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $164,200 - a projected growth of 17% over your current level.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Senior Machine Learning Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Capital One
Pimmit, VA
Capital One | Pimmit, VA
Sr Lead Machine Learning Engineer Job Description As a Capital One Machine Learning Engineer (MLE), you'll be part of an Agile team dedicated to production... more
5 Days Ago
Capital One
Capitol, VA
Capital One | Capitol, VA
Sr. Lead Machine Learning Engineer As a Capital One Machine Learning Engineer (MLE), you'll be part of an Agile team dedicated to productionizing machine l... more
5 Days Ago
Capital One
Pimmit, VA
Capital One | Pimmit, VA
Sr. Distinguished Machine Learning Engineer Overview: As a Capital One Machine Learning Engineer, you'll be providing technical leadership to engineering t... more
5 Days Ago
Capital One
Pimmit, VA
Capital One | Pimmit, VA
Sr. Lead Machine Learning Engineer As a Capital One Machine Learning Engineer (MLE) , you'll be part of an Agile team dedicated to productionizing machine ... more
5 Days Ago
Capital One
Capitol, VA
Capital One | Capitol, VA
Sr. Lead Machine Learning Engineer As a Capital One Machine Learning Engineer (MLE), you'll be part of an Agile team dedicated to productionizing machine l... more
5 Days Ago
Capital One
Pimmit Hills, VA
Capital One | Pimmit Hills, VA
Sr Lead Machine Learning Engineer Job Description As a Capital One Machine Learning Engineer (MLE), you'll be part of an Agile team dedicated to production... more
6 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:
