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salary report · updated september 2026

How Much Do AI Engineer Jobs Pay in Washington, DC? (September 2026)

As of September 2026, the median AI Engineer salary in Washington, DC is $182,500 a year. Most roles pay between $140,750 and $285,000 (the 10th–90th percentile), drawn from 19 live salaried listings across 8 companies. All figures are converted to annual US dollars so different sources compare like-for-like.

Median salary
$182,500
per year · annual USD
Typical range
$141k – $285k
10th–90th percentile
Range seen
$135k – $285k
lowest to highest
Sample
19
salaried listings · 8 companies

How pay has moved

$159k$186k$212kJul 2026Sep 2026

Median base salary by the month each role was posted, across current live listings. A monthly snapshot builds a firmer long-run trend over time.

Highest-paying employers

  1. #1
    S
    SpaceX
    5 salaried listings in Washington, DC
    $285,000
    median
    Principal AI Engineer, Special Programs$220k – $350k·Washington, DCSr. AI Engineer, Platform Infrastructure, Special Programs$220k – $350k·Washington, DCSr. AI Engineer, Special Programs$220k – $350k·Washington, DCSr. AI Engineer, Special Programs - Top Secret Clearance$220k – $350k·Washington, DCAI Engineer, Special Programs - Top Secret Clearance$125k – $220k·Washington, DC
    All SpaceX roles →
  2. #2
    O
    OpenAI
    2 salaried listings in Washington, DC
    $256,500
    median
    Applied AI Engineer, Cyber, Government$211k – $302k·Washington, DCApplied AI Engineer, Government$211k – $302k·Washington, DC
    All OpenAI roles →
  3. #3
    D
    Databricks
    2 salaried listings in Washington, DC
    $198,816
    median
    AI Engineer - FDE (Forward Deployed Engineer) - U.S. Federal Sector$182k – $250k·MarylandAI Engineer - FDE (Forward Deployed Engineer)$153k – $210k·McLean, Virginia
    All Databricks roles →
  4. #4
    AF
    Accenture Federal Services
    6 salaried listings in Washington, DC
    $151,800
    median
    Cleared AI/ML Engineer$108k – $203k·Washington, DCCleared AI/ML Engineer $108k – $203k·Washington, DCOracle Configurator/Prompt Engineer$100k – $203k·Washington, DCOracle Configurator/Prompt Engineer$100k – $203k·Washington, DCCleared GenAI Engineer$99k – $185k·Washington, DC
    All Accenture Federal Services roles →

Employers ranked by median advertised base among those with at least two salaried listings in Washington, DC; each one’s best-paying open roles are listed beneath it.

See the open AI Engineer roles in Washington, DC →

AI Engineer pay elsewhere

USANew YorkRemoteSan FranciscoSan JoseMcLeanCanadaSeattleTorontoBoston
All salary reports →

Methodology: AI Engineer listings in Washington, DC with a published salary, updated daily. Figures come from roles that are open right now. Ranges and single figures are converted to an annual US-dollar midpoint; hourly rates are annualised and out-of-band values dropped. Salary data is self-reported by employers and covers the roles that disclose pay — treat it as a directional guide, not a guarantee.