Salary for Entry-level / Junior Engineer in United States during 2024

Salary details

The average entry-level / junior Engineer salary lies between USD 72,780 and USD 142,000 in the United States. It represents the overall compensation/gross salary amount for the working year (before deductions like social security, taxes and other contributions), not including equity/stock options or similar benefits.

Region represents the primary country of residence of an employee during the year (or residence for tax purposes). All data shown are full-time equivalent (FTE) salaries. Part-time salary information has been extrapolated to its FTE value.

Last updated: Nov. 10, 2024

Top 20 Job Tags for Entry-level / Junior Engineer roles

The three most common job tag items assiciated with entry-level / junior Engineer job listings are Python, Engineering and Computer Science. Below you find a list of the 20 most occuring job tags in 2024 and the number of open jobs that where associated with them during that period:

Python | 3370 jobs Engineering | 3206 jobs Computer Science | 2297 jobs Machine Learning | 2251 jobs SQL | 1720 jobs Research | 1234 jobs Pipelines | 1144 jobs AWS | 991 jobs Java | 972 jobs Architecture | 964 jobs Testing | 950 jobs Azure | 846 jobs Security | 836 jobs Agile | 779 jobs Statistics | 764 jobs Big Data | 749 jobs Mathematics | 724 jobs ETL | 717 jobs Spark | 677 jobs R | 619 jobs

Top 20 Job Perks/Benefits for Entry-level / Junior Engineer roles

The three most common job benefits and perks assiciated with entry-level / junior Engineer job listings are Career development, Health care and Startup environment. Below you find a list of the 20 most occuring job perks or benefits in 2024 and the number of open jobs that where offering them during that period:

Career development | 2828 jobs Health care | 1236 jobs Startup environment | 914 jobs Flex hours | 901 jobs Team events | 872 jobs Equity / stock options | 853 jobs Competitive pay | 685 jobs Medical leave | 683 jobs Insurance | 655 jobs Flex vacation | 551 jobs Parental leave | 448 jobs Salary bonus | 408 jobs 401(k) matching | 344 jobs Conferences | 280 jobs Wellness | 231 jobs Flexible spending account | 210 jobs Relocation support | 186 jobs Fitness / gym | 160 jobs Transparency | 148 jobs Gear | 109 jobs

Salary Composition

In the United States, the salary composition for an entry-level or junior AI/ML/Data Science engineer typically includes a base salary, performance bonuses, and sometimes additional remuneration such as stock options or profit-sharing. The base salary is the fixed component and usually constitutes the majority of the total compensation package. Performance bonuses can vary significantly depending on the company’s policy and individual performance, often ranging from 5% to 15% of the base salary. Additional remuneration like stock options is more common in tech companies, especially startups or large tech firms, and can be a significant part of the compensation in regions like Silicon Valley. In contrast, companies in other regions or industries might offer less in terms of stock options but could provide other benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and educational reimbursements.

Increasing Salary

To increase your salary from an entry-level position, consider the following steps:

• Skill Enhancement: Continuously upgrade your technical skills, especially in high-demand areas like deep learning, natural language processing, or big data technologies.
• Advanced Education: Pursuing a master's degree or specialized certifications can make you more competitive.
• Networking: Build a strong professional network through industry conferences, meetups, and online platforms like LinkedIn.
• Performance Excellence: Consistently exceed performance expectations to position yourself for promotions and raises.
• Industry Switch: Consider moving to industries that pay higher salaries for AI/ML roles, such as finance or healthcare.

Educational Requirements

Most entry-level AI/ML/Data Science positions require at least a bachelor's degree in a related field such as computer science, data science, mathematics, or statistics. Some roles may prefer candidates with a master's degree, especially in competitive markets or for positions that require more specialized knowledge. Coursework in machine learning, data analysis, and programming is often essential.

Helpful Certifications

While not always required, certain certifications can enhance your resume and demonstrate your expertise:

• Certified Data Scientist (CDS)
• TensorFlow Developer Certificate
• AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
• Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer

These certifications can validate your skills in specific tools and platforms, making you more attractive to potential employers.

Experience Requirements

For entry-level positions, employers typically look for candidates with some practical experience, which can be gained through internships, co-op programs, or relevant projects. Experience with data analysis, machine learning models, and programming languages like Python or R is often expected. Demonstrating experience through a portfolio of projects or contributions to open-source projects can also be beneficial.

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