The salary inflation in AI is getting ridiculous.

A new analysis of AI job postings shows the top advertised total compensation for a senior research role at a major lab is $824,000, while typical elite AI engineers with 5+ years of experience earn between $350,000 and $550,000, and new grad AI/ML roles at top firms range from $150,000 to $220,000. The author, responding to forum claims that "everyone I know in AI makes $1M+", argues that eight-figure salaries are usually reserved for founders or early equity holders, not hired employees, and warns that the $100M narrative distorts career decisions. The piece advises that the realistic path to high earnings involves joining pre-IPO labs or startups at the founding-engineer level, building deployable products, and being open to relocation or remote-first roles.

The salary inflation in AI is getting ridiculous. I went through this exercise myself when someone on a forum claimed "everyone I know in AI makes $1M+." It's junk. Here's what the data actually says: Why does this gap matter? Because the $100M narrative distorts career decisions. People chase "AI exit" dreams and pass on solid, well-paid roles that are actually attainable. The $824k job exists — it's a real posting, a real team, real responsibilities. But it's one position, and it's still a W-2, not a lottery ticket. Top advertised base+bonus+equity: $824k a senior research role at one of the big labs Typical "elite" AI engineer, 5+ years: $350k – $550k total comp New grad AI/ML roles: $150k – $220k at top firms The $100M claim: usually founders or early equity holders, not hired employees Why does this gap matter? Because the $100M narrative distorts career decisions. People chase "AI exit" dreams and pass on solid, well-paid roles that are actually attainable. The $824k job exists — it's a real posting, a real team, real responsibilities. But it's one position, and it's still a W-2, not a lottery ticket. The closest real-world path to those 8-figure numbers is: 1. Join a pre-IPO lab or startup at the founding-engineer level. Equity, not salary, is the multiplier. 2. Build something demonstrably useful — a deployed agent, an eval harness, a fine-tuning pipeline that ships. Papers alone don't get you the 7-figure packages anymore. 3. Be willing to relocate or go remote-first. The $824k role wasn't in San Francisco; it was in a market with less talent density. So yes, AI is the best-paid engineering niche right now. But the useful question isn't "how big can the number get" — it's "what compensation is actually being offered today." $824k is a great answer. Everything above that is salesmanship. Next By 2025 → /en/news/4845/ All Replies （1） T The real kicker is equity. A $400k base sounds great until you realize the stock isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Never count unvested shares as salary. 0