TLDR:
- AI software engineers in the U.S. earn a median salary of nearly $300,000, while other software technicians make about $100,000 less.
- Companies are willing to pay a premium for AI skills, with some offering salaries of up to $1 million and investing in training the next generation of AI workers.
The demand for AI software engineers has surged in recent years, leading to a significant pay gap between these professionals and their non-AI counterparts. According to data from Levels.fyi, as of April 2024, AI software engineers in the U.S. were earning a median salary of almost $300,000, while other software technicians were making about $100,000 less. This pay gap, which was around 30% in mid-2022, has now grown to nearly 50%.
Companies across various industries are recognizing the value of AI skills and are willing to pay a premium to attract and retain top AI talent. Some companies, such as Cruise, are paying AI engineers at the staff level salaries as high as $680,500, while their non-AI colleagues are earning significantly less. In an effort to secure the best AI engineers, companies are offering competitive salaries, acquiring startups, poaching talent from rivals, and investing in training programs to develop the next generation of AI workers.
Big Tech companies, in particular, are heavily investing in developing AI technologies and are driving the increased demand for AI-savvy recruits. J.P. Morgan, for example, has established an AI research facility at Carnegie Mellon University, while Amazon has committed to training 2 million individuals worldwide in generative artificial intelligence by 2025. This trend is expected to continue as businesses prioritize AI capabilities and compete for top AI talent in the industry.