AI Jobs Salary Guide: Skills, Roles, and Top Companies in 2024

Last updated by Rishabh Dev Choudhary on Aug 24, 2024 at 12:26 AM | Reading time: 8 minutes

AI Jobs Salary: Though blamed for taking up human jobs, experts predict a 9% increase in all future jobs due to the AI industry by 2025. One-third of businesses have already taken the smart move and incorporated AI into their system. With AI-powered chatbots leading the list, followed by predictive behavior analysis, the quick-paced adoption creates room for experts and skilled AI engineers capable of flawlessly executing the tasks.

But here’s the kicker– top companies are getting more selective with every passing day. However, if you possess the right blend of skills and proven ability to fulfill the requirements, you can expect remunerative AI jobs salary. For instance, the average OpenAI salary ranges between $130,000 to $180,000 lakhs per year.

In this article, we will explain who is an AI engineer and the skills required to increase your AI jobs salary potential. We also provide a comparison of AI jobs salary in the US, and list the top-paying companies in the AI domain.

Who is an AI Engineer?

Before explaining the AI jobs salary, understanding who is an AI engineer is crucial. It is a wide term that covers all the positions concerning the design, development, research, implementation and maintenance of AI models.

With numerous types of AI models with different specializations, AI engineers are widespread. They can be data scientists, software engineers, machine learning or deep learning engineers, business intelligence developers, computer vision engineers and more.

The following are the key prerequisites to become an AI engineer:

A degree in the computer field involving a subject, course or specialization of computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning or another similar field.
Knowledge of programming languages, their libraries and frameworks
Familiarity with machine learning and deep learning, mathematics and statistics

AI Jobs Salary: AI Engineer Skills

Skills Required to Earn High AI Jobs Salary

The industry holds the following demands from candidates expecting high AI jobs salary:

Educational qualification with clear concepts and basics in your field of interest. Head forward to gain bachelor’s and master’s degrees with certifications relevant to your interest and expertise
Technical proficiency in any one or combination of machine and deep learning, programming languages, data manipulation and analysis and solid foundation of important concepts of mathematics and statistics.
Specialization in natural language processing, computer vision, reinforcement learning or any other specialized AI field, depending on the industry or research field
Industry-specific expertise with familiarity with ethical considerations and regulations
Soft skills with an emphasis on problem-solving capabilities, critical thinking, collaboration and communication

What do experts say?

“While some worry that AI may take their jobs, someone who's an expert with AI will.”

- Jensen Huang

President and CEO of NVIDIA (A leading corporation in Artificial Intelligence Computing)

AI Jobs Salary for Different Roles in the US

The following table shows the AI jobs salary for different roles in the US:

Job Role	USA (in US$ per year)
AI Engineer	$160,869
Machine Learning Engineer	$151,945
Senior Machine Learning Engineer	$175,505
Lead Machine Learning Engineer	$167,602

AI Jobs Salary for Different Experience Levels

AI engineers can expect the following salary in the US as per their experience level:

Freshers with 0-1 year of experience can expect $127,533 per year
Medium-level experienced individuals with 1 to 3 years of exposure can expect $144,277 per year
Higher experienced individuals with expertise spanning between 4 to 6 years make around $162,638 per year
The experience of 7 to 9 years will lead to an annual income of $168,979.
Individuals with 10 to 14 years as an AI engineer gain a salary of around $181,492 per year.
Greater than 14 years of experience tends to provide an annual income of $197,086.

AI Jobs Salary for Distinct AI-oriented Job Roles

The following table shows the AI jobs salary in different AI dominated job roles in the US:

AI Job Role	Average Salary (in US$ per year)
Data Scientist	$124,180
Software Engineer	$115,758
Senior Software Engineer	$141,801
Machine Learning Engineer	$158,420
Software Architect	$136,932

Top High-Paying Companies in AI Sector

The following table shows the top-paying AI companies in the US:

Company	Yearly Salary (in US$)
Google	$228,585
Apple	$205,437
Electronic Arts	$179,752
IBM	$153,731

RoadMap to Success in AI: How to Become An AI Engineer?

Earning a high AI engineering salary is a deal of constant effort over multiple years with dedication and passion. Here is a roadmap to generative AI that will guide you in your journey:

Subject choice: Based on the current level, passion and interest, making a well-informed and conscious choice in the direction of AI engineering pays off in the long run. The most basic choice begins at the school level by opting for computer applications or studies as the subject. Carry it forward with a bachelor's degree to enter the field. Ensure building a strong base to remain competitive in the field and have rational thinking capabilities.
Get a Master’s Degree: Master’s degree is not necessary but adds to a significant advantage in landing a decent and good pay job. It not only increases the education level but provides an in-depth understanding of the field with better updates on the real world, which undergraduates generally lack. It outshines in the resume and provides room for negotiation during salary discussions.
Gain practical experience: Always look for and capture the opportunity to gain practical experience. Be it your senior’s or professor’s guidance or your enrollment in paid or unpaid internships. Ensure to get written proof or a certificate of your experience to showcase the same on your resume.
Choose the Career Path: The AI industry is vast. Narrowing down helps to gain specific and relevant skills while excelling quickly in your career. The focus remains on one field, thus aiding in gaining experience, which is one of the most important requirements in both industry and academics.
Build skills: Focus on analytical, soft, and technical skills. The common ones include learning programming languages like Python or R and gaining familiarity with tools and frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras and others. Always exhibit a unique feature about you or be one step ahead in the skills to make yourself a preferable candidate over others fitting the criteria. Exhibit some project, working knowledge of an updated and additional tool or techniques or showcase hands-on experience on an algorithm or modeling systems suitable for the job role.
Network: Networking is a necessary act important in every field. Connect and keep in touch with the professionals, seniors, colleagues and others from your field. Further, look for connections on professional networking sites, conferences, workshops, webinars and industry.
Keep Learning: The field of AI is undergoing constant development and advancements with regular new updates. Keeping up to date in the industry provides exposure and opportunity for growth, development and upskilling. It also helps in earning salary and position increments.

This video will help you learn the mistakes you should avoid during salary negotiations.

Earn Your Dream Salary with Interview Kickstart

Do you have your AI interview scheduled, or are you planning for it? The right guidance stands you the chance for negotiation. Industrial interviews do not judge the technical aspects solely; however, they expect the candidate to easily blend into their environment and possess the right mix of skills as per the requirements.

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FAQs about AI Jobs Salary

Q1. What is the average salary of an AI scientist in the UK?

Ans. The average salary of an AI scientist in the UK is around £71,033 per year.

Q2. Is AI a high-paying job?

Ans. The entry-level AI engineer's salary in India lies at around INR 10 lakhs, making it an actually high-paying job.

Q3. What degree do you need to be an AI engineer?

Ans. AI engineers require at least a Bachelor’s degree in computer-related fields. They can upgrade themselves with higher courses and certificates.

Q4. How long does it take to become an AI engineer?

Ans. The time depends on one's background and learning abilities. However, a three or four-year program or 6 to 12 months of certifications provide relevant skills to become an AI engineer.

Q5. How much do Tesla AI engineers make?

Ans. The average Tesla Artificial Engineer salary in the United States is around $235,997.

Q6. Are AI engineers in demand?

Ans. Yes, with an increasing number of businesses introducing AI into their workforce, the jobs for AI engineers tend to increase. ‍

AUTHOR

Rishabh Dev Choudhary

Generative AI

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How to Nail your next Technical Interview

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Tools to Enhance Full Stack Development with AI

The Future of Data Science: Emerging Trends and Opportunities

Data-Driven Decision Making: Your Roadmap to Business Success

The Business Impact of Machine Learning: Real-world Case Studies

What is OpenAI? Everything You Need to Know

Mock Interviews for Generative AI: Essential Practice to Land Top AI Roles

Top Python Scripting Interview Questions and Answers You Should Practice

Complex SQL Interview Questions for Interview Preparation

Zoox Software Engineer Interview Questions to Crack Your Tech Interview

Rubrik Interview Questions for Software Engineers

Top Advanced SQL Interview Questions and Answers

Twilio Interview Questions

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AI Jobs Salary Guide: Skills, Roles, and Top Companies in 2024

Contents

Rishabh Dev Choudhary

Attend our Free Webinar on How to Nail Your Next Technical Interview

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

Worried About Failing Tech Interviews?

Tools to Enhance Full Stack Development with AI

The Future of Data Science: Emerging Trends and Opportunities

Data-Driven Decision Making: Your Roadmap to Business Success

The Business Impact of Machine Learning: Real-world Case Studies

What is OpenAI? Everything You Need to Know

Mock Interviews for Generative AI: Essential Practice to Land Top AI Roles

Top Python Scripting Interview Questions and Answers You Should Practice

Complex SQL Interview Questions for Interview Preparation

Zoox Software Engineer Interview Questions to Crack Your Tech Interview

Rubrik Interview Questions for Software Engineers

Top Advanced SQL Interview Questions and Answers

Twilio Interview Questions

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Next webinar starts in

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