Realistic total compensation for Senior AI Agent Engineers in San Francisco vs Remote in 2024?

All answers to this question.

For San Francisco, a Senior AI Agent Engineer with LLMOps expertise is currently fetching a base between $190k and $240k. At a Series B startup, expect 0.1% to 0.25% equity. In Big Tech (Google/Meta), the base might be similar, but the RSU packages push the Total Compensation (TC) closer to $400k. The "AI premium" isn't leveling off; it's shifting. Companies are tired of "wrapper" devs and are now paying top dollar for engineers who can optimize local inference or build complex, reliable multi-agent systems.

   Answered 2024-08-12 by Deborah Higgins

How much of a haircut should one expect for a fully remote role based in the Midwest compared to those high San Francisco or New York City base salaries?

   Answered 2024-08-14 by Ryan Sterling

• Ryan, most "Tier 1" startups have moved to national pay scales for AI talent because the shortage is so acute. You might see a 10-15% reduction compared to SF, but rarely more. If a company tries to offer you $120k for a Senior AI role just because you’re in Ohio, they aren't serious about hiring top talent. You can easily find remote roles paying $170k+ regardless of your local zip code.

     Commented 2024-08-15 by Alan Montgomery

Don't forget to negotiate for "compute credits" or home lab stipends. High-end GPU access is the new "free lunch" in the AI world and is worth its weight in gold for personal dev.

   Answered 2024-08-17 by Samantha Brooks

• Absolutely, Samantha. Having a dedicated budget for H100 instances or API testing is a non-negotiable for me now.

     Commented 2024-08-18 by Brandon Taylor