ML Systems, Infrastructure & Platform Salary Benchmarks

Q1 2026 base salary benchmarks for ML systems, infrastructure, distributed training, model serving, inference, performance, MLOps, and platform engineering roles across major US technology markets.

San Francisco

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
ML Systems $150K–$215K $205K–$285K $270K–$385K $335K–$475K $285K–$400K $360K–$490K
ML Infrastructure $155K–$220K $215K–$295K $280K–$400K $345K–$490K $295K–$410K $370K–$500K
Distributed Training $160K–$230K $225K–$315K $295K–$420K $360K–$530K $310K–$430K $385K–$530K
Model Serving $150K–$215K $210K–$290K $275K–$390K $340K–$480K $290K–$405K $365K–$495K
Inference $160K–$230K $225K–$315K $295K–$420K $360K–$530K $310K–$430K $385K–$530K
ML Performance $165K–$240K $230K–$325K $305K–$440K $375K–$560K $320K–$445K $395K–$545K
MLOps $135K–$195K $185K–$260K $245K–$345K $300K–$425K $265K–$370K $345K–$460K
ML Platform $150K–$215K $210K–$290K $275K–$390K $340K–$480K $290K–$405K $365K–$495K

Seattle

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
ML Systems $140K–$205K $195K–$270K $255K–$365K $315K–$450K $270K–$380K $340K–$465K
ML Infrastructure $145K–$210K $205K–$280K $265K–$375K $325K–$460K $280K–$390K $350K–$475K
Distributed Training $150K–$220K $215K–$300K $280K–$395K $340K–$500K $295K–$410K $360K–$500K
Model Serving $140K–$205K $200K–$275K $260K–$370K $320K–$455K $275K–$385K $345K–$470K
Inference $150K–$220K $215K–$300K $280K–$395K $340K–$500K $295K–$410K $360K–$500K
ML Performance $155K–$225K $220K–$310K $290K–$420K $355K–$530K $305K–$425K $375K–$520K
MLOps $125K–$185K $170K–$245K $225K–$325K $280K–$400K $250K–$355K $325K–$440K
ML Platform $140K–$205K $200K–$275K $260K–$370K $320K–$455K $275K–$385K $345K–$470K

New York

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
ML Systems $145K–$210K $200K–$280K $260K–$375K $320K–$460K $275K–$385K $350K–$475K
ML Infrastructure $150K–$215K $210K–$285K $270K–$385K $330K–$470K $285K–$395K $355K–$485K
Distributed Training $155K–$225K $220K–$305K $285K–$405K $350K–$510K $300K–$415K $370K–$510K
Model Serving $145K–$210K $205K–$280K $265K–$380K $325K–$465K $280K–$390K $350K–$480K
Inference $155K–$225K $220K–$305K $285K–$405K $350K–$510K $300K–$415K $370K–$510K
ML Performance $160K–$230K $225K–$315K $295K–$425K $365K–$540K $310K–$430K $385K–$530K
MLOps $130K–$190K $175K–$250K $235K–$335K $290K–$410K $255K–$360K $335K–$450K
ML Platform $145K–$210K $205K–$280K $265K–$380K $325K–$465K $280K–$390K $350K–$480K

Boston

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
ML Systems $135K–$195K $185K–$255K $245K–$345K $305K–$425K $260K–$365K $330K–$440K
ML Infrastructure $140K–$200K $195K–$265K $255K–$355K $315K–$435K $270K–$375K $335K–$450K
Distributed Training $145K–$210K $205K–$285K $270K–$375K $330K–$470K $285K–$390K $345K–$470K
Model Serving $135K–$195K $190K–$260K $250K–$350K $310K–$430K $265K–$370K $330K–$445K
Inference $145K–$210K $205K–$285K $270K–$375K $330K–$470K $285K–$390K $345K–$470K
ML Performance $150K–$215K $210K–$295K $280K–$395K $340K–$505K $295K–$400K $360K–$495K
MLOps $120K–$175K $160K–$230K $215K–$305K $265K–$375K $240K–$335K $310K–$415K
ML Platform $135K–$195K $190K–$260K $250K–$350K $310K–$430K $265K–$370K $330K–$445K

Austin

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
ML Systems $125K–$180K $175K–$240K $230K–$325K $285K–$400K $245K–$345K $310K–$415K
ML Infrastructure $130K–$185K $180K–$245K $240K–$335K $295K–$410K $255K–$355K $315K–$420K
Distributed Training $135K–$195K $190K–$265K $255K–$355K $310K–$440K $265K–$365K $325K–$440K
Model Serving $125K–$180K $180K–$245K $235K–$330K $290K–$405K $250K–$350K $315K–$420K
Inference $135K–$195K $190K–$265K $255K–$355K $310K–$440K $265K–$365K $325K–$440K
ML Performance $140K–$200K $195K–$275K $260K–$370K $320K–$470K $275K–$375K $335K–$465K
MLOps $115K–$165K $150K–$215K $200K–$285K $250K–$350K $225K–$315K $290K–$390K
ML Platform $125K–$180K $180K–$245K $235K–$330K $290K–$405K $250K–$350K $315K–$420K

Chicago

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
ML Systems $120K–$175K $170K–$230K $220K–$310K $275K–$385K $235K–$330K $295K–$395K
ML Infrastructure $125K–$180K $175K–$235K $230K–$320K $285K–$395K $245K–$340K $300K–$400K
Distributed Training $130K–$185K $185K–$255K $245K–$340K $300K–$420K $255K–$350K $315K–$420K
Model Serving $120K–$175K $175K–$235K $225K–$315K $280K–$390K $240K–$335K $300K–$400K
Inference $130K–$185K $185K–$255K $245K–$340K $300K–$420K $255K–$350K $315K–$420K
ML Performance $135K–$195K $190K–$265K $250K–$355K $310K–$455K $265K–$360K $320K–$445K
MLOps $110K–$160K $145K–$210K $195K–$275K $240K–$335K $215K–$305K $280K–$375K
ML Platform $120K–$175K $175K–$235K $225K–$315K $280K–$390K $240K–$335K $300K–$400K

Physics-Informed AI Salary Benchmarks

Compensation benchmarks for physics-informed AI professionals working across scientific machine learning, computational science, HPC, research engineering, simulation, and digital twin systems across major US technology markets.

San Francisco

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
SciML $130K–$230K $165K–$310K $200K–$380K $230K–$450K $250K–$475K $290K–$600K
Computational Scientist $115K–$200K $145K–$260K $175K–$320K $200K–$380K $225K–$420K $265K–$525K
HPC $125K–$215K $160K–$290K $195K–$360K $220K–$420K $250K–$450K $285K–$560K
Research Scientist $140K–$250K $175K–$340K $215K–$420K $245K–$500K $270K–$525K $305K–$650K
Research Engineer $135K–$235K $170K–$320K $205K–$400K $235K–$470K $260K–$475K $295K–$600K
Simulation $110K–$195K $140K–$250K $170K–$310K $195K–$360K $220K–$400K $255K–$475K
Digital Twin $105K–$185K $135K–$235K $165K–$295K $190K–$345K $215K–$385K $250K–$450K

Seattle

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
SciML $125K–$215K $160K–$295K $195K–$355K $220K–$410K $240K–$435K $275K–$540K
Computational Scientist $110K–$195K $140K–$250K $170K–$305K $195K–$360K $220K–$395K $255K–$485K
HPC $120K–$210K $155K–$280K $190K–$345K $215K–$400K $235K–$430K $270K–$510K
Research Scientist $135K–$235K $170K–$315K $205K–$390K $235K–$455K $260K–$485K $290K–$590K
Research Engineer $130K–$225K $165K–$305K $195K–$370K $225K–$430K $250K–$455K $280K–$550K
Simulation $105K–$190K $135K–$240K $165K–$295K $190K–$340K $215K–$380K $250K–$455K
Digital Twin $100K–$185K $130K–$230K $160K–$285K $185K–$330K $210K–$365K $245K–$435K

New York

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
SciML $120K–$210K $155K–$290K $185K–$360K $215K–$425K $235K–$425K $280K–$520K
Computational Scientist $110K–$200K $140K–$255K $170K–$320K $195K–$380K $220K–$395K $260K–$485K
HPC $115K–$225K $150K–$300K $180K–$380K $210K–$450K $235K–$420K $275K–$520K
Research Scientist $125K–$225K $160K–$300K $195K–$375K $225K–$440K $245K–$425K $290K–$540K
Research Engineer $120K–$215K $155K–$290K $185K–$360K $215K–$425K $235K–$415K $280K–$510K
Simulation $105K–$200K $135K–$265K $165K–$340K $190K–$405K $210K–$375K $255K–$455K
Digital Twin $95K–$175K $125K–$230K $155K–$300K $180K–$360K $200K–$345K $240K–$420K

Boston

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
SciML $125K–$225K $160K–$300K $195K–$370K $220K–$435K $245K–$460K $280K–$580K
Computational Scientist $115K–$210K $145K–$265K $175K–$325K $200K–$385K $225K–$420K $260K–$520K
HPC $120K–$205K $155K–$280K $190K–$345K $215K–$400K $240K–$425K $270K–$520K
Research Scientist $135K–$240K $170K–$325K $210K–$405K $240K–$475K $265K–$500K $295K–$615K
Research Engineer $130K–$225K $165K–$305K $200K–$380K $230K–$440K $255K–$470K $285K–$575K
Simulation $105K–$185K $135K–$240K $165K–$295K $190K–$345K $215K–$385K $250K–$460K
Digital Twin $100K–$180K $130K–$230K $160K–$285K $185K–$330K $210K–$370K $245K–$435K

Austin

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
SciML $115K–$200K $145K–$250K $175K–$310K $200K–$370K $220K–$375K $260K–$440K
Computational Scientist $105K–$185K $130K–$235K $160K–$290K $185K–$350K $205K–$345K $240K–$420K
HPC $105K–$190K $135K–$250K $165K–$310K $190K–$370K $215K–$365K $250K–$440K
Research Scientist $120K–$215K $150K–$270K $180K–$340K $210K–$410K $230K–$395K $270K–$470K
Research Engineer $115K–$205K $140K–$260K $170K–$320K $195K–$390K $220K–$380K $260K–$440K
Simulation $100K–$180K $130K–$230K $160K–$285K $185K–$340K $205K–$355K $240K–$420K
Digital Twin $90K–$170K $120K–$215K $150K–$275K $175K–$330K $195K–$335K $230K–$400K

Chicago

Role IC Senior Principal / Lead Senior Staff Director VP
SciML $110K–$190K $140K–$240K $170K–$300K $195K–$360K $215K–$370K $260K–$440K
Computational Scientist $95K–$180K $125K–$225K $155K–$285K $180K–$345K $205K–$345K $240K–$420K
HPC $100K–$220K $130K–$290K $160K–$370K $185K–$440K $215K–$405K $255K–$480K
Research Scientist $110K–$205K $140K–$260K $170K–$330K $200K–$400K $220K–$400K $260K–$470K
Research Engineer $105K–$200K $135K–$250K $165K–$320K $190K–$385K $215K–$385K $255K–$440K
Simulation $95K–$200K $125K–$260K $155K–$330K $180K–$400K $205K–$370K $240K–$440K
Digital Twin $90K–$170K $115K–$220K $145K–$280K $170K–$335K $195K–$330K $230K–$395K