Level-Specific Salary Guide

Mid-Level Ai Engineer Salary in Austin (2026)

Updated July 20266 min readSources: BLS OES 2024, Levels.fyi 2024, JFR job feed

Mid-Level Ai Engineers in Austin earn a median base salary of $166K per year, based on 5,000 verified data points. This guide covers salary ranges, total comp, and negotiation tactics specific to the mid-level level in 2026.

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Verified — 2026 · Mid-Level Level
Ai Engineer · Austin
0% YoY
25th Percentile
$134K
Walk-away floor
Median (50th)
$166K
Market midpoint
75th Percentile
$212K
Realistic ceiling
Sources: BLS OES 2024, Levels.fyi 2024, JFR job feed·Sample: 5,000 data points

Ai Engineer salary by level in Austin

See how mid-level-level pay compares to other seniority bands for the same role and location.

LevelApprox. Median Base
Junior$116K
Mid-LevelThis guide$166K
Senior$224K
Staff$274K
Principal$315K

* Figures are approximate estimates relative to the mid-level-level verified data above.

What does a Mid-Level Ai Engineer earn in Austin in 2026?

The median base salary for a Mid-Level Ai Engineer in Austin is $166K per year, with the 25th–75th percentile range spanning $134K$212K. Total annual compensation — including bonuses and equity — typically reaches $197K at the median for mid-level-level engineers.

At the mid-level level, engineers are working independently and delivering end-to-end features. Compensation has moved meaningfully above junior levels, and further progression to senior typically comes within 2–4 years for high performers.

To negotiate effectively, open at $194K — the 65th percentile for this level and location — which gives you room to settle above median while appearing reasonable. Know your walk-away floor: $134K.

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Top-paying companies for Mid-Level Ai Engineers in Austin

CompanyMedian Base
OpenAI$310K
Anthropic$295K
Google DeepMind$235K
Meta AI$225K
Cohere$215K

Skills that pay more at the mid-level level

LLM / GenAI
+32%
PyTorch / TensorFlow
+20%

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