Job family · 2026.1
Data and AI roles at quant firms
Data acquisition, pipelines, feature stores and applied machine learning. These teams sit closest to research, and the pay structure follows research more than it follows engineering.
- Roles priced
- 3
- Market guides
- 17
- Tracked live functions
- 2
- Last updated
- September 2026
KnowQuant research deskUpdated 1 September 20263 roles priced across 17 marketsMethod 2026.1
What do data and ai roles pay at a quant firm?
Data acquisition, pipelines, feature stores and applied machine learning. These teams sit closest to research, and the pay structure follows research more than it follows engineering. KnowQuant prices 3 data and ai roles, from $150k – $620k to $200k – $1.5m of modelled total compensation in New York. These are modelled reference bands, not observed medians, and individual vacancies are only shown with pay where an employer publishes it.
Roles in this family
Machine Learning Engineer
Applied learning on production signals
$200k – $1.5m
New York total compensation range, all levels
Data Engineer
The pipelines research cannot trade without
$165k – $850k
New York total compensation range, all levels
Data Scientist
Evidence for decisions off the trading path
$150k – $620k
New York total compensation range, all levels
Narrow this family
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By market
- Data and AI pay in New York
- Data and AI pay in London
- Data and AI pay in Chicago
- Data and AI pay in Singapore
- Data and AI pay in Hong Kong
- Data and AI pay in Amsterdam
- Data and AI pay in San Francisco
- Data and AI pay in Paris
- Data and AI pay in Zurich / Geneva
- Data and AI pay in Dubai / Abu Dhabi
- Data and AI pay in Boston
- Data and AI pay in Austin
- Data and AI pay in Greenwich / Stamford
- Data and AI pay in Sydney
- Data and AI pay in Toronto
- Data and AI pay in Mumbai
- Data and AI pay in Shanghai
By seniority
Other families
Modelled bands by seniority, New York
| Role | Entry (0-2 yrs) | Mid (2-5 yrs) | Senior (5-8 yrs) | Lead / Head (8+ yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning Engineer | $200k – $350k | $300k – $550k | $450k – $850k | $600k – $1.5m |
| Data Engineer | $165k – $265k | $220k – $390k | $310k – $560k | $420k – $850k |
| Data Scientist | $150k – $230k | $190k – $320k | $260k – $450k | $330k – $620k |
Modelled reference bands, not observed medians. Where a role publishes fewer distinct levels than the columns shown, the nearest published band is used.
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Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQuantIndex 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
Modelled bands describe the market, not an individual offer. Where an employer states pay, the stated figure is used and labelled as such.