AI and ML Engineer Job Market 2026: Hiring, Pay & Remote Data
US employers posted 2,698 AI and ML engineer jobs in the 30 days ending October 15, 2026. Median posted pay is $180K, 20% of roles are fully remote and 6% are entry level. Here's who's hiring and what skills get interviews.
SIMPLEAPPLY JOB MARKET DATA · AI ENGINEERING
US job postings, September 16 to October 15, 2026
Short answer: AI and ML engineering is the best-paid of the data and AI roles we track, and it's concentrated in California. In the 30 days ending October 15, 2026, US employers posted 2,698 AI and ML engineer jobs in SimpleApply's job data. The median posted salary was $180,500, 20% of roles were fully remote, and 6% were entry level.
At SimpleApply we apply to jobs for job seekers across Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS and other application systems, so we track these postings every day. Here's what the data says about the AI and ML engineer market and how to get more interviews from it.
VOLUME
2,698
US postings in 30 days
PAY
$180K
Median posted salary
VISA
18%
Of postings that state a policy offer sponsorship
Key takeaways
- Top pay. The median posted salary is $180,500, and senior roles reach a $197,000 median.
- ML engineers out-earn AI engineers. Median posted pay is $195,500 for machine learning engineer titles vs $166,850 for AI engineer titles.
- Mostly senior. 63% of postings are senior and 6% are entry level.
- California dominates. 37.2% of postings with a listed state are in California, then New York (13.9%).
- More open to sponsorship. Among postings that state a policy, 18% offer visa sponsorship, far more than data scientists, data engineers or business analysts.
How many AI and ML engineer jobs are open in 2026?
US employers posted 2,698 AI and ML engineer jobs in our data in the 30 days ending October 15, 2026. That includes machine learning engineer, ML engineer and AI engineer titles at every level except internships and managers, with duplicate postings counted once. Machine learning engineer titles made up 1,337 postings and AI engineer titles 1,385.
| Level | Postings | Share | Median posted pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level | 152 | 6% | $115,154 |
| Mid level | 731 | 27% | $150,000 |
| Senior | 1,709 | 63% | $197,000 |
| Lead / executive | 106 | 4% | $234,000 |
What this means
This market rewards depth. With most openings at the senior level, employers are mostly looking for people who have shipped models or AI features to real users. If you're coming from software engineering, the fastest path is usually an AI feature on your current team, then an internal move. Our software engineer job market report shows how the two markets compare.
AI and ML Engineer salaries in 2026
64% of AI and ML engineer postings in our data include a salary range. Using the midpoint of each range, the median is $180,500, and the middle 50% of postings fall between $142,125 and $225,000.
The step from mid level to senior adds about $47K in median posted pay.
Most in-demand AI and ML engineer skills
Three things to take from this:
- Python plus a deep learning framework. Python is in 77% of postings and PyTorch (33%) has clearly passed TensorFlow (21%).
- LLM skills are now their own line item. Generative AI, LLMs and RAG each show up in 14% to 18% of postings.
- Production matters. AWS, Kubernetes and Java show up often, because these roles ship to real systems.
Put your strongest tools in a dedicated skills line using the posting's exact wording, and check what recruiters look for in a resume and these resume mistakes to avoid.
Who is hiring AI and machine learning engineers?
The most active employers in our data over the last 30 days include Apple, Capital One, TikTok, CACI, Booz Allen Hamilton, Optum, ServiceNow, NVIDIA, Lockheed Martin, American Express, Citi, Adobe and Pinterest (staffing agencies and recruiting platforms excluded).
It's not only AI labs. Banks, healthcare, defense and consumer apps are all hiring to put AI into their own products.
Where AI and ML engineer jobs are located (share of postings with a listed state):
| # | State | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 37.2% |
| 2 | New York | 13.9% |
| 3 | Virginia | 9.6% |
| 4 | Texas | 9.0% |
| 5 | Washington | 8.2% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6.4% |
| 7 | Illinois | 3.8% |
| 8 | Maryland | 3.7% |
| 9 | Florida | 3.7% |
| 10 | Georgia | 3.6% |
Are AI and ML engineer jobs remote?
Of AI and ML engineer postings in our data, 64% are on-site, 16% are hybrid and 20% are fully remote. Remote roles draw national applicant pools, so apply early and widely. More tips on our remote job seekers page.
Which application systems do AI and ML engineer employers use?
Startups show up more here: Greenhouse and Ashby together host about 1 in 8 postings, compared with about 1 in 11 for data scientists. Those roles fill fast, so applying early matters. SimpleApply applies directly on these systems for you, including Workday, Greenhouse and iCIMS. See how on our features page.
What this means for your AI and ML engineer job search
- Show shipped work: models or AI features real users touched, with numbers.
- Name PyTorch, LLMs and RAG if you've used them. Postings use those exact words.
- Target California and New York, or remote roles (20% of postings).
- Apply early on Greenhouse and Ashby roles, where startups post.
- If you need sponsorship, this is one of the more open markets. Check the posting's policy before you apply.
SimpleApply finds AI and ML engineer roles that match your profile and applies for you across these systems, so you can spend your time on interviews. New to it? Here's how a personal job search agent works.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI and ML engineer a good career in 2026?
US employers posted 2,698 AI and ML engineer jobs in our data in the 30 days ending October 15, 2026, with a median posted salary of $180,500.
How much do AI and machine learning engineers make in 2026?
Median posted pay for US AI and ML engineer jobs is $115,154 at entry level, $150,000 at mid level, $197,000 at senior, $234,000 at lead / executive (midpoint of posted salary ranges).
Can I get an entry-level AI and ML engineer job?
It's possible but competitive: 6% of AI and ML engineer postings are entry level, and most openings are mid or senior.
What skills do AI and machine learning engineers need in 2026?
The most requested skills are Python (77%), Machine learning (47%), PyTorch (33%), AWS (23%), TensorFlow (21%), Java (18%).
Are AI and ML engineer jobs remote?
About 20% of US AI and ML engineer postings are fully remote, 16% are hybrid and 64% are on-site.
Methodology
This analysis uses SimpleApply's job data: US job postings with a posted date between September 16 and October 15, 2026, collected from company career sites and applicant tracking systems. Duplicate postings of the same job are counted once, and listings flagged as likely scams are excluded. Internships and manager titles are excluded. Pay figures use the midpoint of salary ranges published in the posting (estimated salaries excluded). Remote share uses the workplace type listed on the posting. Skills are those listed in each posting. Applicant tracking system share is based on where the job is hosted. Visa figures only count postings that state a sponsorship policy. Groups with fewer than 25 postings are not reported.
Published by Joe Perrotta, Founder of SimpleApply, October 2026. We update this report as new data comes in. Related reading: Data scientist job market 2026 · Software engineer job market 2026 · Jobs AI can't replace
