ML Engineering Manager

💰 $80K–$114K salary range

Median: $82K  ·  Based on 957 public job postings  ·  Updated October 16, 2026

---

Individuals in this critical management position at high-growth companies are responsible for scaling foundational machine learning models from research prototypes to production-grade, high-performance systems. Based on 29 job postings, the salary range for this role typically spans $140,000 to $243,000, with a median compensation recorded at $220,000. Top earners demonstrate expertise in architecting and deploying large-scale distributed ML systems, particularly for training and fine-tuning. Proficient MLOps practices tailored for foundational models, alongside deep knowledge of inference optimization techniques, are also highly valued skills commanding premium pay. This role demands a blend of technical depth and leadership to drive the successful operationalization of cutting-edge AI.

📊 Salary breakdown

ML Engineering Manager salary by location

• All locations: $82K median ($80K–$114K typical range)
• San Francisco: $275K median, $193K–$339K range (+237% vs. national)
• New York: $168K median, $113K–$309K range (+106% vs. national)
• Dallas: $80K median, $79K–$82K range (-2% vs. national)
• Denver: $112K median, $103K–$115K range (+37% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $95K median, $82K–$112K range (+16% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Anthropic: $348K median
• OpenAI: $284K median
• Hayden AI: $257K median
• Scale AI: $170K median

New York

• Anthropic: $348K median

Based on companies with 3+ active postings. Median of publicly advertised salary range.

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 92% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 91% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 88% of postings
• Parental leave: 82% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 2% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 1% of postings

Typical experience required: 3–6 years.

AI/ML salaries by seniority

• ML Engineering Manager: $82K
• AI/ML Engineer: $110K
• Embedded Systems Engineer: $169K
• MLOps Engineer: $175K
• ML / AI Engineer: $176K
• ML Tech Lead: $183K
• Senior ML Engineer: $188K
• Head of AI: $214K
• Staff ML Engineer: $225K

What does a ML Engineering Manager do?

ML Engineering Managers are machine-learning and AI engineers who build, train, and ship models into production. This benchmark reflects Manager-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Government wage data

For corroboration, U.S. Department of Labor certified wage filings (FY2026) show a median of $201K for ML Engineering Manager roles, ranging $172K–$237K, across 251 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average ML Engineering Manager salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $82K, with a typical range of $80K–$114K, based on 957 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

Where does this salary data come from?
It is aggregated from public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. We require a minimum of 15 postings per role.

Methodology

Figures are the midpoint of each posting's advertised USD salary range, aggregated from 957 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Equity is separate and not included; where a posting's range reflects on-target earnings (OTE) for commission roles, that is included in the midpoint. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed October 16, 2026.

Hiring ML Engineering Managers? RFS recruiters specialize in AI/ML placements at AI-native and high-growth startups. Talk to an RFS recruiter →

Are you a ML Engineering Manager? See open ML Engineering Manager roles →