AI/ML engineer salaries in the UK and US (2026)
AI engineers are the priciest hire on most startup plans right now. Here’s what the market looks like, so your offer lands the first time.
Updated November 2026. All figures are drafts pending Jono’s sign-off.
United Kingdom.
Base salary for permanent hires at venture-backed startups. London, then the rest of the UK.
| Level | London | Rest of UK |
|---|---|---|
| Junior (0-2 yrs) | £50k-£70k | £40k-£55k |
| Mid-level (2-4 yrs) | £75k-£100k | £60k-£80k |
| Senior (5+ yrs) | £100k-£140k | £80k-£110k |
| Staff / lead | £130k-£180k | £105k-£140k |
| Head of AI | £150k-£220k | £120k-£170k |
United States.
Base salary. San Francisco and New York, then everywhere else, including remote.
| Level | SF / NY | Other US and remote |
|---|---|---|
| Junior (0-2 yrs) | $140k-$180k | $120k-$150k |
| Mid-level (2-4 yrs) | $170k-$220k | $145k-$185k |
| Senior (5+ yrs) | $210k-$280k | $180k-$235k |
| Staff / lead | $260k-$350k | $220k-$290k |
| Head of AI | $280k-$400k | $240k-$330k |
Typical option grants.
For a mid-level or senior hire, as a percentage of the company.
- Seed
- 0.3%-1.0%
- Series A
- 0.1%-0.5%
- Series B+
- 0.05%-0.2%
What moves the number.
- 01Production experience. Shipping models to real users moves the number more than any degree.
- 02Evals and inference depth. People who’ve built evals and cut model costs are in short supply.
- 03Location. London pays a clear premium over the rest of the UK, and SF and NY over the rest of the US.
- 04Competing offers. Big AI labs set the ceiling, and strong candidates often have an offer in hand.
If you’re hiring one.
- Don’t try to match a big lab on cash. Win on scope, ownership and equity, and be honest about the numbers.
- Decide whether you need research or engineering before you post the role. Different people, different prices.
- Move fast. Good AI engineers rarely stay on the market for long.
Ranges are typical, not limits. A great candidate in a hot market can sit above them.