Role benchmark
What ML / Research roles pay in the US in 2026, read straight off 219 live listings that publish compensation. Normalized to USD, and limited to roles that score 50 or above for AI agency.
Median, ML / Research
The middle 80% of ML / Research pay runs $191K to $425K.
Distribution, P10 to P90
| Level | P25 | Median | P75 | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intern | $119K | $130K | $130K | 2 |
| Entry | $78K | $162K | $200K | 3 |
| Mid | $176K | $212K | $300K | 28 |
| Senior | $221K | $250K | $310K | 116 |
| Staff | $256K | $283K | $306K | 39 |
| Principal | $283K | $325K | $349K | 5 |
| Lead | $295K | $295K | $850K | 4 |
| Manager | $238K | $290K | $294K | 10 |
| Director | $255K | $326K | $343K | 11 |