Side by side

AI / ML Engineer vs Data Engineer

AI / ML Engineer pays more: a median of $188,500 against $140,500. Demand is comparable on both sides. Listings for AI / ML Engineer move faster — median age 47 days against 55.

Comparison

Side by side

MeasureAI / ML EngineerData EngineerGap
Open postings29,27128,245+1,026
Posted this week9742,126
Median salary$188,500$140,500+$48k
25th percentile$149k$111k
75th percentile$234k$174k
Salary disclosed2.9%5.4%
Remote share6.5%6.8%-0.3pp
Median age of posting47d55d
Open over 60 days51.4%49.3%
Visa sponsorship4.4%24.3%
Pay

Pay distribution

AI / ML Engineer

$85k$326k

Data Engineer

$63k$243k
Freshness

How old the listings are

AI / ML Engineer

just posted47d median90d+

Data Engineer

just posted55d median90d+
Demand

What each side asks for

AI / ML Engineer — technologies

Python
72.0%
Node.js
65.8%
Spark
59.6%
React
53.4%
Tableau
47.2%
Airflow
41.0%
Go
34.8%

Data Engineer — technologies

Python
72.0%
HubSpot
65.8%
JavaScript
59.6%
Docker
53.4%
TypeScript
47.2%
Tableau
41.0%
React
34.8%

AI / ML Engineer — employers

Tidewater Insurance
9.4%
Cobalt Financial
8.7%
Umbra Security
8.0%
Ironbark Manufacturing
7.2%
Kestrel Health
6.5%
Meridian Software
5.8%
Beacon Robotics
5.1%

Data Engineer — employers

Vantage Logistics
9.4%
Brightline Retail
8.7%
Beacon Robotics
8.0%
Lakeshore Hospitality
7.2%
Pinewood Education
6.5%
Quarry Analytics
5.8%
Halcyon Energy
5.1%

Track this slice

A weekly note when openings, pay or freshness move for AI / ML Engineer vs Data Engineer.

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Both sides are counted the same way on the same day, so the gap is comparable even where the absolute numbers move. Salary figures use only postings that publish a range — the disclosure rate is in the table because a median over 20% of a cohort is a weaker number than one over 70%.