H-1B AI and Machine Learning Engineer Salaries (2026)
H-1B AI and machine learning engineers earn an average salary of $150,974 per year based on FY2024 certified LCA filings from the U.S. Department of Labor. Credit Karma tops the list at $301,220 (17 filings), followed by Roblox ($278,534, 12 filings), Netflix ($249,768, 21 filings), and Reddit ($240,166, 27 filings). There were 9,163 AI/ML-related LCA filings in FY2024.
AI/ML filings grew 35% from 6,781 in FY2021 to 9,163 in FY2024. This analysis uses a job title keyword filter: rows where the job title contains "machine learning", "deep learning", "artificial intelligence", "data scientist", "ML engineer", "AI engineer", "AI/ML researcher", or similar.
Top 30 Companies by H-1B AI/ML Salary (FY2024, Min 10 Filings)
| # | Company | Avg Salary | AI/ML Filings | Top Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Credit Karma LLC | $301,220 | 17 | Senior Data Scientist II |
| 2 | Roblox Corporation | $278,534 | 12 | Data Scientist |
| 3 | Netflix, Inc. | $249,768 | 21 | Machine Learning Engineer |
| 4 | Reddit, Inc. | $240,166 | 27 | Senior Software Engineer, ML |
| 5 | Roku, Inc. | $239,133 | 24 | Senior Software Engineer, ML |
| 6 | ByteDance Inc. | $233,055 | 171 | Data Scientist |
| 7 | TikTok Inc. | $223,981 | 100 | Machine Learning Engineer |
| 8 | Cruise LLC | $214,445 | 15 | Senior Machine Learning Engineer |
| 9 | TikTok U.S. Data Security | $214,183 | 34 | Machine Learning Engineer |
| 10 | DocuSign Inc. | $212,491 | 12 | Machine Learning Engineer |
| 11 | Tesla, Inc. | $207,628 | 17 | Sr. Autopilot Machine Learning Engineer |
| 12 | Waymo LLC | $203,167 | 12 | Data Scientist |
| 13 | Spotify USA, Inc. | $203,114 | 30 | Senior Machine Learning Engineer |
| 14 | Adobe Inc. | $201,299 | 123 | Machine Learning Engineer |
| 15 | Maplebear Inc. (Instacart) | $201,269 | 26 | Senior Machine Learning Engineer |
| 16 | Meta Platforms, Inc. | $199,011 | 509 | Data Scientist |
| 17 | Moloco, Inc. | $196,907 | 15 | Machine Learning Engineer II |
| 18 | Salesforce, Inc. | $196,681 | 31 | Data Scientist |
| 19 | Social Finance, LLC | $194,171 | 11 | Staff Data Scientist |
| 20 | Coupang Global LLC | $192,522 | 16 | Staff Machine Learning Engineer |
| 21 | Atlassian US, Inc. | $192,415 | 18 | Machine Learning Engineer |
| 22 | Block, Inc. | $191,304 | 43 | Data Scientist |
| 23 | Robinhood Markets, Inc. | $188,149 | 10 | Senior Data Scientist - Analytics |
| 24 | IBM Corporation | $187,038 | 47 | Data Scientist |
| 25 | PathAI, Inc. | $185,628 | 11 | Senior Machine Learning Engineer |
| 26 | Apple Inc. | $185,420 | 318 | Machine Learning Engineer |
| 27 | Google LLC | $182,770 | 125 | Data Scientist |
| 28 | NVIDIA Corporation | $181,913 | 24 | Data Scientist |
| 29 | Airbnb, Inc. | $181,722 | 18 | Senior Machine Learning Engineer |
| 30 | Rivian Automotive, LLC | $181,424 | 15 | Staff Machine Learning/AI Engineer |
ML Engineer vs Data Scientist vs AI Researcher
ML Engineer roles command the highest average salary at $176,232. Data Scientist roles have the most filings (6,363) with average $140,437. AI Researcher / Research Scientist roles average $125,953 and include 3,345 filings. All numbers are FY2024 certified LCA filings matched by job title.
| Role | Avg Salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| ML Engineer | $176,232 | 1,748 |
| Data Scientist | $140,437 | 6,363 |
| AI Researcher / Research Scientist | $125,953 | 3,345 |
Year-over-Year Growth in AI H-1B Filings
| Fiscal Year | AI/ML Filings | YoY Growth | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | 6,781 | baseline | $133,466 |
| FY2022 | 8,954 | +32% | $140,527 |
| FY2023 | 7,590 | -15% | $143,268 |
| FY2024 | 9,163 | +21% | $150,974 |
How to Query AI/ML Salary Data
Search for machine learning engineer salaries at any company:
GET /api/v1/salaries?job_title=machine+learning&employer=google&sort=salary_desc
Or search all data scientist filings in New York:
GET /api/v1/salaries?job_title=data+scientist&state=NY&sort=salary_desc
See the API documentation for all available filters including SOC code, wage level, and fiscal year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do AI engineers make on H-1B visas?
H-1B AI/ML engineers (job titles matching machine learning, ML engineer, AI engineer, data scientist, AI/ML researcher, etc.) earn an average salary of $150,974/year in FY2024. At top payers like Credit Karma ($301,220) and Roblox ($278,534), salaries exceed $278,000/year. The ML Engineer role specifically averages $176,232.
What is the average H-1B data scientist salary?
The average H-1B data scientist salary in FY2024 is $140,437 across 6,363 certified LCA filings. Top payers include ByteDance (Data Scientist role), Netflix, and Meta, with senior data scientists at these firms averaging above $200,000.
Which companies sponsor the most H-1B AI roles?
In FY2024, the companies filing the most AI/ML-titled LCAs (job title keyword match) are Meta Platforms (509), Walmart Associates (337), Apple (318), Amazon (271), ByteDance (171), Pinterest (138), LinkedIn (129), Google (125), and Adobe (123).
Do machine learning engineers earn more than software engineers on H-1B?
Yes. The average H-1B ML engineer salary ($176,232 in FY2024) is significantly higher than the general software engineer average ($129,714). At senior levels, the gap is even larger due to the specialized skill set.
How are AI/ML roles identified in the data?
This article uses a job title keyword filter: rows where the job title contains 'machine learning', 'deep learning', 'artificial intelligence', 'data scientist', 'ML engineer', 'AI engineer', 'AI/ML researcher', or similar. SOC codes alone are too broad (SOC 15-1299.08 = Data Scientist covers a much wider scope than AI/ML specifically). This filter matches roles where employers explicitly advertise the AI/ML specialization.
Is the demand for H-1B AI talent increasing?
Yes. LCA filings for AI/ML-titled roles increased 35% between FY2021 and FY2024 (6,781 to 9,163). The average salary for these roles grew 13% over the same period, from $133,466 to $150,974, reflecting sustained competition for AI talent.
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