A machine learning engineer at a quant firm turns research models into production systems: feature pipelines, training infrastructure, evaluation harnesses and the serving path into live strategies. New York total compensation typically runs from about $200,000 at entry level to $800,000 or more for senior people whose models carry live risk.
Live vacancies
47
Employers hiring
12
Market guides
17
Seniority bands
4
How much does a machine learning engineer earn?
A machine learning engineer at a quant firm turns research models into production systems: feature pipelines, training infrastructure, evaluation harnesses and the serving path into live strategies. New York total compensation typically runs from about $200,000 at entry level to $800,000 or more for senior people whose models carry live risk. 47 machine learning engineer roles are open right now across 12 employers and 12 cities we track.
KnowQuant research desk·Updated 1 September 2026·47 live vacancies from 12 employers, plus 4 modelled seniority bands across 17 hub markets·Method 2026.1
Where machine learning engineer demand sits today
Vacancy counts come straight from the career pages of the employers we track and change daily. The pay tables below are modelled bands, dated separately, so you can see demand and money side by side without confusing the two.
Live vacancies
47
Open roles matching this function
Employers hiring
12
Distinct firms with an open seat
Doctorate preferred
13
Vacancies stating a PhD preference
Open roles by city
New York
19
London
9
Hong Kong
4
Chicago
3
Amsterdam
2
Greenwich / Stamford
2
Mumbai
2
Singapore
2
Read live from each employer's own career page. Last full refresh September 2026. Pay ranges shown further down are modelled and labelled where an employer has not stated a figure.
By city
Modelled total compensation range across every seniority, with the modelled reference estimate for the role, in each market's local currency.
Machine Learning Engineer total compensation by city, September 2026
Annual median wage across all employers, not just quant firms, for the government occupations closest to a machine learning engineer. Quant-firm pay usually sits well above these medians; use them as a floor and a regional guide, not as a quant benchmark.
Area
Computer and information research scientists (15-1221)
New York reference market, US dollars. Base salary and total compensation.
Machine Learning Engineer compensation by seniority in New York, September 2026
Level
Experience
Base
Total comp
Junior ML Engineer
0-2 yrs
$140k – $195k
$200k – $350k
ML Engineer
2-5 yrs
$175k – $250k
$300k – $550k
Senior ML Engineer
5-8 yrs
$210k – $300k
$450k – $850k
Lead / Head of Applied ML
8+ yrs
$250k – $380k
$600k – $1.5m
About the role
The seat sits between research and engineering, and firms split it differently: some treat it as research with engineering duties, others as engineering with model ownership. What is consistent is that pay tracks how close the work sits to attributable profit and loss. Engineers who only maintain infrastructure are paid on the engineering ladder; those who own model quality against live outcomes are paid much closer to research.
Skills firms hire for
Python
PyTorch or JAX
Feature engineering
Distributed training
Evaluation design
GPU infrastructure
Typical backgrounds
-Machine learning masters or PhD
-Applied scientists from large technology firms
-Engineers who moved into modelling
-Physics and statistics graduates with deep-learning work
Sourced answers to the questions people bring to this page, each with the figure, the date and the caveat.
How much does a machine learning engineer earn?
A machine learning engineer at a quant firm turns research models into production systems: feature pipelines, training infrastructure, evaluation harnesses and the serving path into live strategies. New York total compensation typically runs from about $200,000 at entry level to $800,000 or more for senior people whose models carry live risk. The New York band runs $200k – $1.5m in annual total compensation, with a modelled reference estimate of $390k. Figures are base salary plus expected performance bonus, excluding sign-on, deferred equity and carry.
What does a machine learning engineer earn at entry level?
An entry hire (Junior ML Engineer, 0-2 years) is typically offered $140k to $195k in base salary and $200k to $350k in total compensation in New York. At the senior end (Lead / Head of Applied ML, 8+ years) total compensation reaches $1.5m.
Where is the best-paid market for a machine learning engineer?
New York leads on headline modelled total compensation at $390k, with London at £259k. Both are modelled reference estimates for the role, not observed medians. Bands are shown in each market's local currency across 17 hub markets, so tax treatment and cost of living still change the net picture materially.
What skills do firms hire machine learning engineers for?
The recurring requirements are Python, PyTorch or JAX, Feature engineering, Distributed training, Evaluation design. Typical backgrounds are machine learning masters or phd, applied scientists from large technology firms, engineers who moved into modelling. Of the live vacancies we classify for this role, 13 ask for a PhD.
How many machine learning engineers roles are open right now?
We currently classify 47 open machine learning engineer vacancies across 12 firms and 12 markets. The count is rebuilt from employer career pages rather than reposted listings, so it reflects roles that are genuinely open.
Can I quote these machine learning engineer figures?
Yes, with attribution and a link. Method 2026.1, last reviewed September 2026. Cite the dated edition rather than the live page if you need the number to stay stable: KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/salary/ml-researcher
Free to quote and republish with attribution and a link to the source page, under our terms. Method 2026.1, last reviewed 1 September 2026. The methodology sets out how each band is built and what it excludes.
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The dated market call: which desks opened seats, where pay shifted, and which markets tightened. Written by the research desk, sent Monday, and nothing else.
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.
KnowQuant·Index 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.
KnowQuant·Index 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
KnowQuant · Publishes indicative market ranges for information purposes and does not provide financial advice.