ML Engineer salary: San Francisco vs Los Angeles
LA's tech market pays ~10% below SF for engineering; entertainment-tech and gaming employers close the gap at the senior end.
ML Engineer median · San Francisco
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US · live Adzuna
ML Engineer median · Los Angeles
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US · live Adzuna
San Francisco market
San Francisco remains the highest-paid tech market globally. Cash base salaries lead the country; equity (RSUs, options) typically adds 30-100% to total comp. The contract day-rate market is the deepest in the world for senior engineering and AI roles.
Los Angeles market
Los Angeles has a fragmented tech market spanning entertainment-tech, gaming, aerospace and consumer apps. Salaries sit ~10% below SF for software engineering; total comp gaps narrow at the senior end where equity-rich gaming and entertainment-tech employers compete aggressively.
ML Engineer salary in San Francisco (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
ML Engineer salary in Los Angeles (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
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