What are the main factors that influence a Machine Learning Developer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Machine Learning Developer's salary?

A Machine Learning Developer's salary grows with experience: starting around $157,596 for beginners, reaching about $158,844 at mid-level, and approach $162,698 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Machine Learning Developer?

Machine Learning Developer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Machine Learning Developer roles are District of Columbia $176,149, California $175,481, Massachusetts $173,142. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Machine Learning Developer roles make?

Salaries for Machine Learning Developer level roles vary by specialization: Python Machine Learning Developer: $160,358; Machine Learning Researcher: $131,499; Head Of Machine Learning: $127,702; Director Of Machine Learning: $126,997; Machine Learning Analyst: $125,019.

How do different companies affect a Machine Learning Developer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Machine Learning Developer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Machine Learning Developer Salary in the United States

How much does a Machine Learning Developer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Machine Learning Developer in the United States is $159,094 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $76.

However, a Machine Learning Developer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $178,879
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $150,105 to $169,450
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $141,921

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Machine Learning Developer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$169,450	$14,121	$3,259	$81
Average	$159,094	$13,258	$3,060	$76
25th Percentile	$150,105	$12,509	$2,887	$72

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Key Factors That Influence Machine Learning Developer Salaries

A Machine Learning Developer'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.

How Experience Level Affects Machine Learning Developer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Machine Learning Developer'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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $157,596
Early Career (1-2 years): $158,220
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $158,844
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $160,093
Expert (over 8 years): $162,698

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Machine Learning Developer	$157,596
Intermediate Level Machine Learning Developer	$158,220
Senior Level Machine Learning Developer	$158,844
Specialist Level Machine Learning Developer	$160,093
Expert Level Machine Learning Developer	$162,698

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Machine Learning Developer Salaries Vary from State to State?

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 Machine Learning Developers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $176,149.
California: $175,481.
Massachusetts: $173,142.

District of Columbia $176,149 California $175,481 Massachusetts $173,142 Washington $172,506 New Jersey $172,442 Alaska $172,219 Connecticut $170,024 New York $169,133

Hawaii $166,285 Rhode Island $164,949 Maryland $164,042 Minnesota $162,801 Colorado $162,324 Illinois $162,165 Oregon $161,560 Delaware $161,114

New Hampshire $160,834 Virginia $160,208 Pennsylvania $158,378 Nevada $157,455 North Dakota $157,153 Michigan $156,676 Wisconsin $156,501 Vermont $156,151

Texas $155,180 Maine $155,117 Arizona $155,021 Ohio $154,910 Georgia $153,446 Indiana $152,714 Wyoming $152,571 Utah $152,348

Iowa $152,253 Kansas $151,489 Louisiana $151,267 North Carolina $151,187 Missouri $151,155 Florida $150,535 Montana $150,201 Nebraska $149,882

Kentucky $149,707 South Carolina $149,071 Tennessee $148,673 Idaho $148,514 New Mexico $147,353 Oklahoma $147,098 Alabama $146,160 South Dakota $144,585

Arkansas $143,726 West Virginia $143,264 Mississippi $141,880

Top Paying Cities for Machine Learning Developers

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:

San Jose: $200,665
San Francisco: $198,692
Oakland: $194,286

San Jose, CA $200,665

San Francisco, CA $198,692

Oakland, CA $194,286

New York, NY $184,374

Queens Village, NY $183,181

Paramus, NJ $181,908

Passaic, NJ $181,749

Bergenfield, NJ $181,590

Stamford, CT $181,351

Huntington, NY $181,192

Newark, NJ $180,158

Bridgeport, CT $179,840

New Brunswick, NJ $179,315

Vallejo, CA $178,981

Middlesex, NJ $178,885

Somerset, NJ $178,742

Petaluma, CA $178,376

Santa Cruz, CA $177,756

Boston, MA $177,438

Monterey, CA $176,642

Fairbanks, AK $176,531

Los Angeles, CA $176,228

Washington, DC $176,149

Seattle, WA $175,863

Santa Rosa, CA $175,831

Juneau, AK $175,369

Orange, CA $174,844

Anchorage, AK $174,558

Anaheim, CA $174,447

Santa Ana, CA $174,208

Nassau, NY $174,112

Long Beach, CA $174,049

Danbury, CT $174,001

Santa Maria, CA $173,460

Everett, WA $173,428

Bremerton, WA $172,649

Trenton, NJ $172,347

Sacramento, CA $172,283

San Diego, CA $172,203

Brockton, MA $172,140

Tacoma, WA $172,076

Santa Barbara, CA $171,853

Lowell, MA $171,217

New Suffolk, NY $171,153

Nashua, NH $170,962

Lompoc, CA $170,708

Ventura, CA $170,549

Stockton, CA $170,501

New Haven, CT $170,183

Atlantic City, NJ $169,769

Hartford, CT $169,419

Modesto, CA $169,340

Poughkeepsie, NY $168,990

New Britain, CT $168,910

Olympia, WA $168,687

Kennewick, WA $168,687

New London, CT $168,656

Norwich, CT $168,608

Lawrence, MA $168,528

Bakersfield, CA $168,083

Riverside, CA $167,860

New Bedford, MA $167,860

Richland, WA $167,701

Portsmouth, NH $167,574

Vineland, NJ $167,542

San Bernardino, CA $167,415

Boulder, CO $166,969

Worcester, MA $166,842

Portland, OR $166,699

Saint Paul, MN $166,508

Minneapolis, MN $166,508

Philadelphia, PA $166,285

Honolulu, HI $165,442

Springfield, MA $164,885

Providence, RI $164,869

Chicago, IL $164,408

Bellingham, WA $164,217

Baltimore, MD $164,042

Chico, CA $163,644

Wilmington, DE $163,374

Pittsfield, MA $163,215

Manchester, NH $162,912

Spokane, WA $162,212

Denver, CO $162,196

Albany, NY $161,449

Troy, NY $161,385

Schenectady, NY $161,051

Burlington, VT $160,701

Portland, ME $160,144

Salem, OR $160,017

Yakima, WA $159,985

Ann Arbor, MI $159,937

Rochester, MN $159,492

Fresno, CA $159,412

Reno, NV $159,412

Milwaukee, WI $159,269

Detroit, MI $159,110

Allentown, PA $159,062

Carson City, NV $159,046

Houston, TX $158,808

Colorado Springs, CO $158,792

Syracuse, NY $158,712

Eugene, OR $158,410

Bismarck, ND $158,219

Gary, IN $158,219

Galveston, TX $158,219

Springfield, OR $158,092

Medford, OR $157,710

Fort Collins, CO $157,646

Austin, TX $157,519

Mesa, AZ $157,185

Phoenix, AZ $157,153

Dallas, TX $157,105

Reading, PA $157,010

Saint Cloud, MN $156,946

Concord, NH $156,803

Madison, WI $156,739

Utica, NY $156,310

Raleigh, NC $156,183

Las Vegas, NV $156,167

Rochester, NY $156,055

Des Moines, IA $156,039

Atlanta, GA $155,785

Battle Creek, MI $155,737

Salt Lake City, UT $155,689

Lancaster, PA $155,451

Champaign, IL $155,419

Harrisburg, PA $155,228

Durham, NC $155,085

Kansas City, MO $155,069

Kansas City, KS $155,037

Fort Worth, TX $155,021

Boca Raton, FL $154,958

Cleveland, OH $154,942

Columbus, OH $154,910

Pittsburgh, PA $154,894

Richmond, VA $154,830

Indianapolis, IN $154,798

Cincinnati, OH $154,592

Petersburg, VA $154,353

Billings, MT $154,003

Lansing, MI $154,003

Huntsville, AL $154,003

Lebanon, PA $153,987

Dayton, OH $153,971

Pueblo, CO $153,971

Appleton, WI $153,923

Buffalo, NY $153,860

Racine, WI $153,780

Charlotte, NC $153,764

Saint Louis, MO $153,717

Springfield, IL $153,653

Elkhart, IN $153,621

York, PA $153,621

Gastonia, NC $153,605

Benton Harbor, MI $153,605

Beaumont, TX $153,510

Lorain, OH $153,478

Toledo, OH $153,414

Binghamton, NY $153,335

Rock Hill, SC $153,319

Rockford, IL $153,239

Fargo, ND $153,160

Elyria, OH $153,160

Flagstaff, AZ $153,048

Fort Lauderdale, FL $152,953

Miami, FL $152,858

Duluth, MN $152,603

Bangor, ME $152,396

Cedar Rapids, IA $152,221

Louisville, KY $152,142

Grand Rapids, MI $152,110

Hialeah, FL $152,094

Casper, WY $151,871

Scranton, PA $151,680

New Orleans, LA $151,632

Virginia Beach, VA $151,617

Akron, OH $151,537

Peoria, IL $151,330

Sarasota, FL $151,298

Green Bay, WI $151,187

Baton Rouge, LA $151,107

Charleston, SC $151,076

Nashville, TN $151,028

Jamestown, NY $150,996

Davenport, IA $150,996

Tucson, AZ $150,917

Cheyenne, WY $150,869

Saint Petersburg, FL $150,821

Tampa, FL $150,789

Omaha, NE $150,757

Port Arthur, TX $150,694

Evansville, IN $150,694

Bradenton, FL $150,630

Santa Fe, NM $150,344

Orlando, FL $150,185

Clearwater, FL $150,010

Canton, OH $149,676

La Crosse, WI $149,676

Grand Forks, ND $149,628

Albuquerque, NM $149,580

Tulsa, OK $149,580

Newport News, VA $149,564

High Point, NC $149,517

Ogden, UT $149,453

Corpus Christi, TX $149,326

Laramie, WY $149,230

Norfolk, VA $149,230

Rock Island, IL $149,135

Saginaw, MI $149,103

Jacksonville, FL $149,087

Salisbury, NC $149,055

Memphis, TN $149,023

Moline, IL $148,944

Fort Myers, FL $148,896

Waterloo, IA $148,689

Spartanburg, SC $148,530

Lincoln, NE $148,451

Fort Wayne, IN $148,419

Birmingham, AL $148,244

Cedar Falls, IA $148,212

Provo, UT $148,196

Springfield, OH $148,180

San Antonio, TX $148,148

Greensboro, NC $148,085

South Bend, IN $148,069

Winston Salem, NC $148,053

Boise, ID $148,005

Savannah, GA $147,894

Muskegon, MI $147,607

Lima, OH $147,417

Lake Charles, LA $147,353

Anderson, IN $147,321

Lexington, KY $147,273

Augusta, GA $147,226

Greenville, SC $147,226

Wichita, KS $147,082

Tuscaloosa, AL $147,082

Columbia, SC $146,939

Bloomington, IN $146,541

Roanoke, VA $146,446

Asheville, NC $146,239

Knoxville, TN $145,969

Shreveport, LA $145,953

Wilmington, NC $145,746

Frankfort, KY $145,444

Oklahoma City, OK $145,332

Chillicothe, OH $145,269

Longview, TX $145,253

Topeka, KS $145,205

Mobile, AL $144,966

Terre Haute, IN $144,903

Erie, PA $144,887

Altoona, PA $144,807

Melbourne, FL $144,760

Amarillo, TX $144,696

Killeen, TX $144,648

Fayetteville, AR $144,521

Sioux Falls, SD $144,410

Chattanooga, TN $144,314

Idaho Falls, ID $144,298

Gainesville, FL $143,964

Portsmouth, OH $143,885

Little Rock, AR $143,853

Lynchburg, VA $143,853

Lafayette, LA $143,789

Youngstown, OH $143,789

Temple, TX $143,726

Daytona Beach, FL $143,694

Clarksville, TN $143,678

Pensacola, FL $143,662

Hopkinsville, KY $143,185

Charleston, WV $143,169

Florence, SC $143,089

Sioux City, IA $142,994

Macon, GA $142,532

Tallahassee, FL $142,516

Fayetteville, NC $142,485

Waco, TX $142,453

Wichita Falls, TX $142,453

Pine Bluff, AR $142,389

Vincennes, IN $142,087

Lubbock, TX $142,023

Great Falls, MT $141,928

Alamogordo, NM $141,912

Abilene, TX $141,785

Rapid City, SD $141,578

Monroe, LA $141,578

Albany, GA $141,482

Huntington, WV $141,466

Jackson, MS $141,450

Greenville, MS $141,435

Parkersburg, WV $141,275

Montgomery, AL $141,244

Johnstown, PA $141,212

Springfield, MO $141,085

Biloxi, MS $141,005

Sumter, SC $140,671

Columbus, GA $140,655

Twin Falls, ID $140,560

Pascagoula, MS $140,353

Kingsport, TN $139,939

Gulfport, MS $139,891

Alexandria, LA $139,366

Fort Smith, AR $138,969

El Paso, TX $138,539

Helena, MT $138,332

Las Cruces, NM $137,823

Harlingen, TX $137,378

Pocatello, ID $137,234

Florence, AL $137,187

Brownsville, TX $137,155

Dothan, AL $136,900

Mcallen, TX $136,821

Columbus, MS $135,644

Altus, OK $134,912

Lawton, OK $134,609

Pierre, SD $134,037

What Skills Can Increase a Machine Learning Developer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Insight (Mentioned in 3.42% Job Postings): Insight is the understanding cause and effect based on the identification of relationships and behaviors within a model, context, or scenario.
Computer Science (Mentioned in 3.85% Job Postings): Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines.
Economics (Mentioned in 2.14% Job Postings): Economics is a social science that focuses on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, and analyzes the choices that individuals, businesses, governments, and nations make to allocate resources.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Insight	3.42%
Computer Science	3.85%
Economics	2.14%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Machine Learning Developer's salary.

Research Design: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Inference: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Research Design	$170,231	7%
Commitment	$168,640	6%
Inference	$168,640	6%
Continuous Learning	$167,049	5%
Empowerment	$167,049	5%
Initiative	$165,458	4%

Get Latest Data

Machine Learning Developer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Machine Learning Developer'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, 2026

$150,105

Average $159,094/year

$169,450

$12,509

Average $13,258/month

$14,121

$2,887

Average $3,060/week

$3,259

$72

Average $76/hour

$81

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$169,450	$14,121	$3,259	$81
Average	$159,094	$13,258	$3,060	$76
25th Percentile	$150,105	$12,509	$2,887	$72

Salaries of jobs related to Machine Learning Developer

Salary Trends for Machine Learning Developer

Salaries for a Machine Learning Developer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $152,957 in 2023 to around $149,784 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Machine Learning Developer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Machine Learning Developer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$152,957

2024

$152,244

2025

$149,784

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$152,957
2024	$152,244
2025	$149,784
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Machine Learning Developer

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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