Which AI labs pay the most for engineers? Disclosed base pay, October 2026
Anthropic has the highest median disclosed base for engineer roles at AI labs in October 2026. Figures from 49 labs, base pay only, with sample sizes.
TL;DR. Anthropic has the highest median disclosed base for engineer roles among the AI labs we track: $402,500 across 154 roles open in October 2026. Seven of the top ten labs are frontier or infrastructure companies. These are posted base ranges, not total pay or offers, so treat them as a starting point.
Lead. In October 2026, the highest median disclosed base for engineer roles at AI labs belonged to Anthropic, at $402,500. The figures are midpoints of the base ranges that employers posted for roles we tracked. They leave out equity, bonuses, and offers.
A median is a useful headline and a poor verdict. The share of roles that disclose a range, the spread inside each lab, and the kind of company matter as much as the top number. I pulled these figures from our job data on 4 November 2026, so I have also set out what they cannot show.
How we measured pay
Each figure follows four rules:
- Open on our boards in October 2026. We saw the role during October. That is not the employer's posting date.
- Engineer titles. The title contains "engineer". Manager and director titles are left out. Keeping them in moves the top medians by at most $6,250.
- Base salary only. Annual, in US dollars. Each role's figure is the midpoint of its posted minimum and maximum. Roles in other currencies, or priced by the hour, are left out.
- Ten or more roles. A lab is ranked only when at least ten of its open engineer roles disclose a usable range.
In October, 6,801 engineer roles were open on our boards. Of those, 3,326 had a usable range in US dollars. 49 labs cleared the ten-role bar.
Figure 1. How one posted range becomes a lab median. The values are examples. Source: workatailab.com job data.
Median base by lab kind
Each lab has a kind, the category we assign it. Frontier labs, which train their own foundation models, have the highest median at $330,000, across 707 roles at 16 labs. Applied companies come next at $270,000. Infrastructure companies sit lower, at $222,325.
The middle half of frontier roles runs from $260,000 to $384,000. The group is not uniform.
Figure 2. Median base, and the middle half of disclosed ranges, for engineer roles by lab kind, October 2026. Source: workatailab.com job data.
The defense row needs a footnote. Its median is the lowest at $190,000, but 903 of its 909 disclosed roles come from two companies, Anduril and Shield AI. Those two set the number for the whole kind.
Which labs pay the most for engineers
The table ranks the 20 labs with the highest medians. Each lab links to its open roles. The share column shows how many of the lab's open engineer roles disclosed a range.
| # | Lab | Kind | Median base | Disclosed / open | Share disclosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthropic | Frontier | $402,500 | 154 / 244 | 63% |
| 2 | MatX | Infrastructure | $380,000 | 25 / 36 | 69% |
| 3 | OpenAI | Frontier | $339,000 | 344 / 418 | 82% |
| 4 | Thinking Machines Lab | Frontier | $331,250 | 28 / 29 | 97% |
| 5 | Mercor | Applied | $330,000 | 37 / 40 | 93% |
| 6 | Perplexity AI | Applied | $312,500 | 43 / 58 | 74% |
| 7 | xAI | Frontier | $310,000 | 60 / 128 | 47% |
| 8 | Tenstorrent | Infrastructure | $300,000 | 51 / 91 | 56% |
| 9 | Lambda | Infrastructure | $297,500 | 42 / 44 | 95% |
| 10 | Wayve | Robotics | $287,500 | 40 / 96 | 42% |
| 11 | Sierra | Applied | $285,000 | 62 / 104 | 60% |
| 12 | Harvey AI | Applied | $270,000 | 106 / 134 | 79% |
| 13 | Periodic Labs | Bio-science | $261,250 | 14 / 14 | 100% |
| 14 | Apptronik | Robotics | $251,000 | 14 / 66 | 21% |
| 15 | Prime Intellect | Infrastructure | $250,000 | 13 / 13 | 100% |
| 16 | Baseten | Infrastructure | $247,500 | 46 / 46 | 100% |
| 17 | Cohere | Frontier | $247,500 | 16 / 49 | 33% |
| 18 | Snowflake | Big tech | $243,750 | 86 / 150 | 57% |
| 19 | Replit | Applied | $242,500 | 31 / 36 | 86% |
| 20 | Waymo | Robotics | $238,000 | 151 / 198 | 76% |
Seven of the top ten are frontier or infrastructure labs. The share column matters. xAI and Wayve disclose a range for fewer than half of their open engineer roles, so their medians describe a minority of those roles.
The table above shows the top 20. The full ranking of all 49 labs with ten or more disclosed roles sits in the interactive table below. Sort by any column, filter by lab kind, or search for a lab by name.
All 49 labs, sortable. Show the full table.
Median base for engineer roles open on our boards in October 2026. Disclosed USD annual ranges only. Snapshot taken 4 November 2026.
| Anthropic | Frontier | $402,500 | 154 / 244 | 63% | $180,000 | $850,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MatX | Infrastructure | $380,000 | 25 / 36 | 69% | $120,000 | $600,000 |
| OpenAI | Frontier | $339,000 | 344 / 418 | 82% | $113,000 | $850,000 |
| Thinking Machines Lab | Frontier | $331,250 | 28 / 29 | 97% | $180,000 | $500,000 |
| Mercor | Applied | $330,000 | 37 / 40 | 93% | $120,000 | $500,000 |
| Perplexity AI | Applied | $312,500 | 43 / 58 | 74% | $140,000 | $485,000 |
| xAI | Frontier | $310,000 | 60 / 128 | 47% | $100,000 | $600,000 |
| Tenstorrent | Infrastructure | $300,000 | 51 / 91 | 56% | $100,000 | $500,000 |
| Lambda Labs | Infrastructure | $297,500 | 42 / 44 | 95% | $89,000 | $550,000 |
| Wayve | Robotics | $287,500 | 40 / 96 | 42% | $90,000 | $460,000 |
| Sierra | Applied | $285,000 | 62 / 104 | 60% | $110,000 | $390,000 |
| Harvey AI | Applied | $270,000 | 106 / 134 | 79% | $129,200 | $381,800 |
| Periodic Labs | Bio-science | $261,250 | 14 / 14 | 100% | $200,000 | $350,000 |
| Apptronik | Robotics | $251,000 | 14 / 66 | 21% | $165,000 | $350,000 |
| Prime Intellect | Infrastructure | $250,000 | 13 / 13 | 100% | $150,000 | $350,000 |
| Baseten | Infrastructure | $247,500 | 46 / 46 | 100% | $125,000 | $400,000 |
| Cohere | Frontier | $247,500 | 16 / 49 | 33% | $150,000 | $450,000 |
| Snowflake | Big tech | $243,750 | 86 / 150 | 57% | $96,000 | $437,000 |
| Replit | Applied | $242,500 | 31 / 36 | 86% | $110,000 | $390,000 |
| Waymo | Robotics | $238,000 | 151 / 198 | 76% | $158,000 | $431,000 |
| Together AI | Infrastructure | $237,500 | 34 / 56 | 61% | $90,000 | $320,000 |
| Agility Robotics | Robotics | $233,250 | 10 / 43 | 23% | $108,000 | $337,000 |
| Eridu | Infrastructure | $230,000 | 10 / 16 | 63% | $180,000 | $275,000 |
| Nuro | Robotics | $229,000 | 73 / 74 | 99% | $120,270 | $387,000 |
| Sesame | Applied | $227,500 | 15 / 17 | 88% | $150,000 | $320,000 |
| General Intuition | Frontier | $227,500 | 10 / 10 | 100% | $150,000 | $300,000 |
| Cerebras | Infrastructure | $225,000 | 12 / 83 | 14% | $175,000 | $300,000 |
| Anyscale | Infrastructure | $220,000 | 17 / 20 | 85% | $50,000 | $283,000 |
| Lila Sciences | Bio-science | $218,000 | 55 / 58 | 95% | $75,600 | $374,000 |
| SambaNova | Infrastructure | $217,500 | 28 / 40 | 70% | $120,000 | $312,000 |
| LiveKit | Infrastructure | $217,500 | 14 / 19 | 74% | $120,000 | $320,000 |
| Databricks Mosaic | Infrastructure | $216,104 | 196 / 365 | 54% | $88,800 | $397,650 |
| fal | Infrastructure | $215,000 | 17 / 21 | 81% | $150,000 | $250,000 |
| Scale AI | Infrastructure | $213,300 | 19 / 77 | 25% | $148,800 | $342,000 |
| Google DeepMind | Frontier | $213,000 | 61 / 86 | 71% | $123,000 | $525,000 |
| Rhoda AI | Robotics | $212,500 | 24 / 31 | 77% | $150,000 | $300,000 |
| Etched | Infrastructure | $212,500 | 56 / 84 | 67% | $130,000 | $400,000 |
| Meta AI | Big tech | $212,000 | 31 / 58 | 53% | $118,000 | $403,000 |
| Modal Labs | Infrastructure | $210,000 | 11 / 13 | 85% | $150,000 | $350,000 |
| Figure AI | Robotics | $205,000 | 50 / 65 | 77% | $115,000 | $400,000 |
| Lightmatter | Infrastructure | $203,000 | 38 / 46 | 83% | $134,000 | $300,000 |
| CoreWeave | Infrastructure | $200,500 | 22 / 111 | 20% | $92,000 | $303,000 |
| Fireworks AI | Infrastructure | $200,000 | 10 / 15 | 67% | $110,000 | $290,000 |
| Skild AI | Robotics | $200,000 | 18 / 30 | 60% | $100,000 | $300,000 |
| Lyte | Robotics | $197,500 | 14 / 21 | 67% | $130,000 | $300,000 |
| 1X Technologies | Robotics | $195,000 | 61 / 67 | 91% | $90,000 | $350,000 |
| Shield AI | Defense | $190,000 | 392 / 491 | 80% | $74,000 | $500,000 |
| Anduril | Defense | $186,500 | 511 / 1569 | 33% | $86,000 | $345,000 |
| Writer | Applied | $186,000 | 12 / 22 | 55% | $125,000 | $259,000 |
Showing 49 of 49 labs.
Anthropic
Anthropic has the highest median in the data: $402,500 across 154 disclosed roles, which is 63% of its 244 open engineer roles. The lowest posted floor was $180,000, and the highest ceiling was $850,000. Our data does not record seniority, so it cannot show how much of that spread comes from level.
OpenAI
OpenAI has the largest sample near the top: 344 disclosed roles, or 82% of its 418 open engineer roles. Its median is $339,000. Posted floors run as low as $113,000, and ceilings as high as $850,000. With this many roles, one unusual posting does not move the median much.
Google DeepMind
Google DeepMind has a median of $213,000 across 61 disclosed roles, 71% of its 86 open engineer roles. That is well below the other frontier labs. The data does not record team or seniority, so I cannot yet explain the gap. To compare like with like, start with the research scientist and research engineer pages, which list those roles across every lab.
Applied, robotics, and defense companies
The ranking includes applied, robotics, and defense companies, each labelled with its kind. Among the applied companies, Mercor has a median of $330,000, and Perplexity AI has $312,500. Harvey AI sits at $270,000, and Replit at $242,500. Robotics companies vary. Wayve has a median of $287,500, and Waymo has $238,000.
Illustration. Not data.
Defense sits lower. Shield AI has a median of $190,000 across 392 disclosed roles. Anduril has $186,500 across 511 disclosed roles, out of 1,569 open engineer roles. Anduril's median rests on about a third of its open roles.
Where the ranges are wide
A single top number hides the spread. Across frontier labs, the middle half of disclosed roles runs from $260,000 to $384,000. Inside one lab the gap is wider still. OpenAI's posted floors reach down to $113,000, and its ceilings reach $850,000. When you compare two labs, compare the middle of their ranges, and check how many roles sit behind each figure.
Illustration. Not data.
What this data cannot show
Illustration. Not data.
- Equity, bonuses, and benefits. Posted base ranges leave these out.
- Offers. A posted range is the employer's range. It is not what anyone was paid.
- Disclosure gaps. Apptronik discloses a range for 14 of its 66 open engineer roles. CoreWeave discloses 22 of 111. A median from a small share of roles is a weak signal.
- Seniority. Our data does not record level, so it cannot separate senior roles from junior ones.
- Timing. This covers the roles we saw in one month. Roles open and close throughout the month, and labs add and remove roles.
Frequently asked questions
How much do AI engineers make at AI labs?
Among the engineer roles we tracked in October 2026 with a disclosed USD base range, the median at frontier labs was $330,000, and at applied companies $270,000. Across the 49 labs we rank, medians run from $186,000 to $402,500. These are posted ranges, so read each one with its lab's disclosure share.
Why do these numbers differ from salary websites?
Salary surveys ask people what they earn. These figures are midpoints of ranges that employers posted for roles open on our boards. They describe job postings, not pay that people report receiving.
Does this include equity?
No. The figures are base salary only. Equity, bonuses, and benefits are not in the posted ranges.
See the roles behind the numbers
A median can point you to a lab. The roles show whether it fits you. Every role on workatailab.com links to the lab's own application page, so you can read the full description and apply there.
Illustration. Not data.
- Open Anthropic's roles, then use the Pay filter to show only roles with a disclosed range.
- Search every lab for engineer roles, then narrow by location.
- Browse roles in the United States.
A lab missing from this table? Suggest it, and we will review it.
Figure 3. A real product screenshot, taken 5 November 2026: Anthropic's lab page on workatailab.com. Every posted date shown is the employer's. All 682 open roles at this lab carry one (checked on 5 November 2026).
