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04 July 2023
11 min
AI technologies are reshaping the world, changing the way we live and work and revolutionizing various industries and sectors. In 2023, the demand for AI expertise has jumped up to 1,000%, making the artificial intelligence developer’s career path hyped up as never before. No wonder that in the rapidly advancing realm of Artificial Intelligence, tech companies are actively looking for hidden AI gems all around the globe.
At Alcor, we provide IT recruitment services in Eastern Europe, focusing on Senior/Lead software developers with different skills and tech stacks. And in this article, I’ll share the latest trends in the AI market, global AI and ML developer salary rates, factors that affect it, and other relevant insights.
AI Engineering Market Overview
In 2022, the global artificial intelligence market size reached $142 billion, expected to grow up to nearly two trillion U.S. dollars by 2030. Not only is this market expanding rapidly, but investments are pouring in as well — $189.6 billion over the past year alone. According to a recent survey, 9 out of 10 top businesses have ongoing investments in the AI market.
It’s also worth mentioning that artificial intelligence is currently being applied in various industries and branches. For instance, in healthcare AI is aiding in medical diagnoses and personalized treatments, whereas finance benefits from artificial intelligence in fraud detection and risk assessment. Retail leverages AI for demand forecasting, inventory management, and enhanced customer experiences, with a focus on data security to protect consumer information. AI is also revolutionizing the education sector by customized learning experiences, automating administrative tasks, and enabling data-driven insights to optimize student performance.
Accordingly, the employment market is also likely to undergo significant changes due to the rapid AI development. The World Economic Forum predicts the growth of 69 million new jobs as well as a decline of 83 million existing ones by 2027. And there are presently plenty of career opportunities for AI enthusiasts. As of June 2023, there are 4,000+ job openings on LinkedIn and over 33,000 on ZipRecruiter in the US only. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected job growth of 21% for AI engineers between 2021 and 2031, demonstrating a significant demand for professionals in this field.
AI Engineer Skills and Levels
Artificial intelligence developers are tech specialists who design, develop, and implement AI systems and applications. They possess a broad scope of expertise that encompasses various areas of computer science such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, and more. The specific requirements for artificial intelligence programmers may vary based on their expertise levels (junior, middle, senior), role, and the company type, yet there are certain qualifications that are considered must-have for AI enthusiasts.
- Solid programming skills
Python, Java, R, and C++ are some of the most widely used programming languages for developing AI applications. Hence, these specialists must be well-versed in them to write efficient code, implement models, handle data structures, and build algorithms.
-
Machine learning knowledge
With machine learning being a fundamental component of artificial intelligence, these developers must also possess skills in this field. It enables creating intelligent systems to analyse data, understanding its architecture, making predictions and classifications, evaluating model performance, and taking informed decisions.
- Expertise in deep learning
Deep learning is one of the core components of many AI applications. That’s why AI developers are expected to be familiar with convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and deep learning frameworks.
- Knowledge of AI tools and frameworks
In addition to machine and deep learning technologies, there is a rich variety of AI frameworks, libraries, and tools. TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-learn are among the most popular tools that AI developers utilize in their projects and analytics work.
As for soft skills, the requirements don’t differ much from other IT specialists: problem-solving, critical thinking, communication & collaboration, adaptability, attention to detail, time management, and continuous learning.
3 Factors that Affect AI Developer Salary
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Skills & Knowledge
First and foremost, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) offers a multitude of job roles, each with its own distinct set of skills and knowledge requirements. These roles include artificial intelligence developers, machine learning developers, and data science specialists. As AI encompasses various domains of development, individuals specializing in these roles possess expertise in specific areas, leading to differences in their responsibilities and corresponding wage rates.
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Experience Level
Another factor that impacts the AI developer salary is the level of experience held by the dev. As a rule, the approach is the same as with other tech specialists – talents with more years of experience often command higher wages compared to those who are just starting their careers. Thus, an entry-level artificial intelligence specialist makes about $95K a year in the US, while a dev with 3-5 years of professional experience might get around $130K. Higher salaries of $160K a year require 5+ years of AI development.
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Location
Different countries offer varying levels of remuneration for AI developers, with some regions standing out for their higher salaries, while others offer comparatively lower rates. For example, in the USA, Canada, and some European countries, these specialists get up to $180K a year while the wages in Eastern Europe are 3-4 times lower.
AI/ML Engineer Salaries Examples in Big Tech
Industry-leading companies strive to strengthen their artificial intelligence capabilities and gain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving IT landscape. That’s why they actively seek out exceptional talents who possess outstanding expertise in the fields of AI and ML. Let’s see how top-tier tech enterprises reward these specialists.
Even though tech giants overall offer rather generous renumerations, the AI engineer salary differs not only from company to company but also country to country. Later in this article, I’ll analyze salaries across different countries to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of wage trends worldwide.
AI/ML Developer Salary: Key Takeaways
My team and I gathered data from reliable sources to compile a comprehensive table showcasing the average artificial intelligence and machine learning engineer salary worldwide. The information below represents up-to-date figures as of June 2023.
| Base annual income, USD | North America | South America | ||||
| junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | |
| AI Engineer | $60,000 | $73,000 | $93,000 | $21,000 | $25,000 | $31,000 |
| ML Engineer | $65,000 | $77,000 | $93,000 | $23,000 | $29,000 | $36,000 |
| Data Science Engineer | $52,000 | $70,000 | $89,000 | $17,000 | $22,000 | $29,000 |
| Base annual income, USD | Western & Nordic Europe | Eastern Europe | ||||
| junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | |
| AI Engineer | $45,000 | $67,000 | $110,000 | $29,000 | $44,000 | $63,000 |
| ML Engineer | $51,000 | $63,000 | $84,000 | $27,000 | $37,000 | $56,000 |
| Data Science Engineer | $45,000 | $59,000 | $76,000 | $28,000 | $38,000 | $56,000 |
| Base annual income, USD | Eastern & Southern Asia | Australia | ||||
| junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | |
| AI Engineer | $30,000 | $49,000 | $56,000 | $74,000 | $110,000 | $132,000 |
| ML Engineer | $30,000 | $49,000 | $56,000 | $72,000 | $107,000 | $130,000 |
| Data Science Engineer | $40,000 | $64,000 | $69,000 | $66,000 | $97,000 | $120,000 |
Average AI/ML Developer Salary in North America
USA
The US has the most generous AI and ML engineer salary rates around the world. AI specialists get $79K-$190K per annum, depending on the level of expertise. ML developer salary in this country ranges between $82K-$200K a year.
| Base annual income, USD | San Francisco | Los Angeles | New York City | ||||||
| junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | |
| AI Engineer | $106,500 | $132,500 | $169,000 | $86,000 | $109,000 | $142,000 | $87,000 | $110,000 | $142,000 |
| ML Engineer | $102,000 | $130,000 | $166,000 | $87,000 | $110,000 | $147,000 | $91,000 | $116,000 | $148,000 |
| Data Science Engineer | $105,000 | $132,000 | $155,000 | $87,000 | $112,000 | $140,000 | $88,000 | $113,000 | $141,000 |
| Base annual income, USD | Seattle | Boston | Washington, DC | ||||||
| junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | |
| AI Engineer | $100,000 | $130,000 | $148,000 | $120,000 | $130,000 | $145,000 | $95,000 | $110,000 | $125,000 |
| ML Engineer | $118,000 | $130,000 | $150,000 | $120,000 | $130,000 | $153,000 | $125,000 | $140,000 | $167,000 |
| Data Science Engineer | $119,000 | $130,000 | $138,000 | $123,000 | $130,000 | $140,000 | $102,000 | $108,000 | $125,000 |
Canada
Canada offers slightly lower wages than the US – artificial intelligence devs get $66K-$125K while a Data Scientist earns $51K–$101K annually.
| Base annual income, USD | Toronto | Montréal | Vancouver | ||||||
| junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | |
| AI Engineer | $86,500 | $95,000 | $124,500 | $66,000 | $84,000 | $108,000 | $67,000 | $84,000 | $94,000 |
| ML Engineer | $95,000 | $100,500 | $109,000 | $95,000 | $100,000 | $109,000 | $84,000 | $89,000 | $99,500 |
| Data Science Engineer | $56,000 | $81,500 | $100,000 | $56,000 | $81,000 | $100,000 | $56,500 | $80,500 | $100,500 |
Mexico
The annual AI software engineer salary in Mexico is the lowest in the region – $22K-$42K.
| North America | |||||||||
| Base annual income, USD | USA | Canada | Mexico | ||||||
| junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | |
| AI Engineer | $95,500 | $121,000 | $146,000 | $74,500 | $86,000 | $108,500 | $22,500 | $33,000 | $40,000 |
| ML Engineer | $105,500 | $117,500 | $144,500 | $84,000 | $89,000 | $99,500 | $32,500 | $43,000 | $53,500 |
| Data Science Engineer | $95,500 | $119,500 | $142,500 | $56,500 | $80,500 | $100,500 | $20,000 | $28,000 | $33,500 |
Average AI/ML Developer Salary in South America
Brazil
In Brazil, developers with AI engineering expertise get $20K-$48K a year.
Argentina
Argentinian wages are lower than Brazilian – up to $32K per annum.
|
South America |
||||||
| Base annual income, USD |
Brazil |
Argentina |
||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$25,000 |
$31,000 | $38,000 | $19,000 | $23,000 |
$30,000 |
| ML Engineer |
$31,000 |
$39,000 | $46,000 | $19,000 | $23,000 |
$29,000 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$22,000 |
$29,000 | $37,000 | $14,500 | $19,000 |
$26,500 |
Average AI/ML Developer Salary in Western & Nordic Europe
United Kingdom
| Base annual income, USD |
England |
Scotland |
||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$65,000 |
$90,000 | $115,000 | $50,500 | $70,000 |
$100,000 |
| ML Engineer |
$65,000 |
$85,000 | $105,000 | $47,500 | $54,000 |
$67,500 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$57,500 |
$62,500 | $77,500 | $47,500 | 60,000 |
$70,000 |
| Base annual income, USD |
Wales |
Northern Ireland |
||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$51,500 |
$70,000 | $100,000 | $50,500 | $70,000 |
$100,000 |
| ML Engineer |
$51,500 |
$57,500 | $73,500 | $55,000 | $65,000 |
$70,000 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$45,000 |
$50,000 | $67,500 | $45,000 | $50,000 |
$65,000 |
Germany
The German job market offers AI developers $55K-$90K while the compensation for ML specialists constitutes $52K-96K annually.
France
The annual AI programmer salary in France is slightly lower than in Germany – entry-level specialists earn $34K-$58K whilst devs with 5+ years of experience get $53K-$75K.
Italy
In this country, the annual Artificial Intelligence developer salary spans between $32K-$69K.
| Base annual income, USD |
Germany |
France |
Italy |
||||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$57,000 |
$67,000 | $83,500 | $53,000 | $62,000 | $71,500 | $37,500 | $46,500 |
$54,500 |
| ML Engineer |
$56,000 |
$67,500 | $85,500 | $41,000 | $50,000 | $62,000 | $33,000 | $41,000 |
$49,500 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$59,000 |
$69,000 | $77,500 | $41,500 | $49,000 | $58,000 | $30,000 | $41,500 |
$53,500 |
Norway
Norwegian remunerations are the highest in the region, which range between $55K-$185K.
Netherlands
In Netherlands, the salaries amount to $42K-$110K.
Sweden
Sweden offers slightly lower pay than Norway – $45K-175K a year.
| Base annual income, USD |
Norway |
Netherlands |
Sweden |
||||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$71,000 |
$106,000 | $155,000 | $47,000 | $85,000 | $102,500 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
$120,000 |
| ML Engineer |
$72,000 |
$111,000 | $160,000 | $57,500 | $85,000 | $102,500 | $66,000 | $93,000 |
$142,500 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$70,000 |
$110,000 | $155,000 | $47,500 | $67,500 | $85,000 | $55,000 | $85,000 |
$135,000 |
Austria
Austrian compensation for AI programmers spans between $50K-$110K while Data Science developers ger $45K-$90K annually.
Belgium
The AI specialist salary in Belgium doesn’t differ much from Austian wages and ranges from $50K up to $115K a year.
Spain
The Spanish job market offers the lowest salaries in the region – $20K-$58K yearly.
| Base annual income, USD |
Austria |
Belgium |
Spain |
||||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer | $55,000 | $85,000 | $97,500 | $55,000 | $85,000 | $107,500 | $32,000 | $41,000 |
$51,000 |
| ML Engineer |
$52,500 |
$82,500 | $100,000 | $57,500 | $87,000 | $105,000 | $25,000 | $39,000 |
$52,000 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$48,500 |
$70,000 | $85,000 | $47,500 | $67,500 | $85,000 | $25,500 | $37,000 |
$50,500 |
Average AI/ML Developer Salary in Eastern Europe
Poland
Polish programmers with artificial intelligence expertise get $42K-$96K a year, whilst the ML engineer salary ranges from $37K to $104K.
Romania
The annual Artificial Intelligence programmer salary in Romania spans between $19K-96K.
Read our article on IT outsourcing to Romania to get more insights about the local tech market!
Bulgaria
Bulgarian salaries are almost the same as in Romania. Specialists with 1-2 years of experience in AI engineering are paid $18K-$25K a year.
| Base annual income, USD |
Poland |
Romania |
Bulgaria |
||||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$47,000 |
$62,000 | $80,000 | $27,500 | $34,000 | $69,000 | $21,500 | $32,000 |
$49,500 |
| ML Engineer |
$45,500 |
$63,000 | $88,000 | $27,500 | $33,000 | $42,000 | $30,500 | $34,500 |
$45,000 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$40,000 |
$56,000 | $80,500 | $25,500 | $34,500 | $64,500 | $24,000 | $36,000 |
$54,000 |
Hungary
The annual Artificial Intelligence engineer salary in Hungary is between $24K and $78K.
Czech Republic
The salary rates in the Czech Republic don’t differ much from Polish ones.
| Base annual income, USD |
Hungary |
Czech Republic |
||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$32,500 |
$50,500 | $66,000 | $45,000 | $57,500 |
$77,500 |
| ML Engineer |
$33,000 |
$56,000 | $65,000 | $42,500 | $57,500 |
$80,500 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$33,000 |
$45,000 | $53,500 | $35,000 | $50,000 |
$55,000 |
Average AI/ML Developer Salary in East & South Asia
China
Chinese employers reward local talents with $26K-$84K a year.
Japan
The Artificial Intelligence specialist salary in Japan amounts to $26K-$85K annually.
South Korea
The wages in this country are slightly lower than in China and Japan.
| Base annual income, USD |
China |
Japan |
South Korea |
||||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$34,000 |
$48,000 | $69,000 | $33,000 | $55,000 | $75,000 | $28,500 | $47,500 |
$67,500 |
| ML Engineer |
$25,000 |
$40,000 | $65,000 | $33,000 | $55,000 | $75,000 | $28,500 | $47,500 |
$67,500 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$46,000 |
$70,000 | $92,500 | $40,500 | $60,000 | $92,500 | $44,000 | $72,500 |
$95,000 |
India
| Base annual income, USD |
Mumbai |
Delhi |
Bangalore |
||||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$9,000 |
$12,000 | $15,500 | $9,000 | $13,000 | $17,000 | $9,500 | $13,000 |
$17,500 |
| ML Engineer |
$9,000 |
$12,000 | $15,500 | $9,000 | $13,000 | $17,000 | $9,500 | $13,000 |
$17,500 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$7,500 |
$10,500 | $14,000 | $8,500 | $11,500 | $14,500 | $9,000 | $13,000 |
$16,000 |
Average AI/ML Developer Salary in Australia
| Base annual income, USD |
Sydney |
Melbourne |
Brisbane |
||||||
|
junior |
middle | senior | junior | middle | senior | junior | middle |
senior |
|
| AI Engineer |
$74,000 |
$130,000 | $137,500 | $71,500 | $107,500 | $132,500 | $62,500 | $102,500 |
$117,500 |
| ML Engineer |
$72,500 |
$108,500 | $133,500 | $67,500 | $102,500 | $122,500 | $57,500 | $94,000 |
$107,500 |
| Data Science Engineer |
$67,500 |
$97,500 | $122,500 | $61,500 | $92,500 | $117,500 | $51,500 | $82,500 |
$100,000 |
AI Developer Hiring Aspects
Before you start looking for an artificial intelligence developer for your team, you should bring more clarity to not only the hiring requirements but also streamlining the recruitment process. As a general observation these exceptional specialists, typically in their 40s, boast high educational backgrounds, holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in computer science, AI, robotics, or closely related fields. They are driven by an insatiable hunger for intellectual exploration, constantly seeking to unravel hidden and complex problems. Furthermore, these IT talents often exhibit a creative inclination, generating innovative ideas and showcasing out of the box thinking.
Finding AI developers can be a real adventure in the realm of recruitment. Unlike other popular roles in the industry, the scarcity of these specialists on the market coupled with skyrocketing demand creates a unique challenge. Due to this, candidates often come with higher salary expectations, adding another twist to the hiring process. Another stumbling block is the rapid development of AI technologies which requires exceptional recruiting expertise to assess a candidate’s skills and competences.
To cut down on costs and broaden the candidate pool, software product companies opt for offshoring destinations, such as Eastern Europe. This region offers moderate tax and salary rates, plus a vast pool of qualified software developers who also have good command of the English language. And that’s why this region captured the attention of leading tech giants. Recently Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI the creator of ChatGPT, has expressed interest in exploring potential locations in Europe for a new office, highlighting Poland as a particularly intriguing option. Not only Poland, but Romania, Bulgaria and other countries in Eastern Europe appealed to Google, Apple, Oracle, Sift, and Netflix to open their offices there.
People.ai is also among these companies. This is a US-based product company which develops a platform with the help of machine learning technology. In their quest to assemble a dedicated development team in Eastern Europe, People.ai sought out the assistance of our firm Alcor. Within just one month, Alcor successfully recruited over 25 highly experienced developers for People.ai’s AI-based platform. Furthermore, Alcor extended its support in terms of operational necessities, including payroll and accounting services, as well as legal solutions, ensuring seamless operations for People.ai’s remote team. The outcome was nothing short of exceptional -People.ai acquired an outstanding team, retained complete control over their offshore artificial intelligence developers, benefited from transparent pricing models, and gained the ability to swiftly scale their operations when required.
Nice to meet you! We are Alcor — a Trusted IT Recruitment Partner
At Alcor, we help product tech companies with IT staffing in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and other Eastern European countries. Our team comprises over 40 seasoned software developer recruiters who excel in sourcing, job interviewing, and hiring software developers equipped with rare and coveted tech stacks. On average, it takes us 3-6 weeks and just 8 CVs to close any position. We go beyond recruitment by offering comprehensive support in legal compliance, payroll management, equipment procurement, and employer branding. If you want to build your development team with talented artificial intelligence programmers, let’s schedule a call!
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It includes the salary ranges and availability of the requested developers in Poland, Romania, and other countries in EE (as well as time-to-hire metrics and other KPIs for your case).