An AI engineer needs hands-on skill with the tools employers name most: Python (9,786), Aws (6,341), Excel (4,242), Sql (3,414), and Kubernetes (3,106), across 63,380 live jobs that cite at least one AI tool. 621 postings carry the AI engineer title, and 270 of those mention a degree. Measured October 2026.
Also asked as: What are the skills needed for AI engineer?
The full guide, with live postings: What are the skills needed for AI engineer?.
Every figure above is computed from the live postings on Level at the time of measurement, October 2026. Each posting is read for how much of the daily work is AI, then rated from Little AI to Builds AI. Salaries use the posting's own range, in US dollars only. Numbers are recomputed monthly and the page is updated when they move by more than 10 percent.
The live figures on this page count postings whose title contains “AI engineer”. They were read from the database on October 2026 and are refreshed every ten minutes. A posting that describes the work under another title is not counted. Pay figures appear only above ten postings, with hourly rates and annual salaries kept apart. These counts describe postings, not the companies behind them.
Most requested skills: AI agents (319), machine learning (255), RAG (239), AI safety (179), AI research (166)
Most named tools: Python (256), PyTorch (161), LangChain (141), Hugging Face (102), AWS (100)
Top employers: Capital One (76), OpenAI (42), PwC (40), SpaceX (18), Anthropic (13)
| Pay type | Median | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual salary | $217k | $183k to $265k (p25 to p75) | 158 |
Measured on October 24, 2026. Method: live ai engineer postings that publish a pay range, using the midpoint of each range and the most common currency, with no conversion. Hourly rates and annual salaries are counted separately; amounts whose period is unclear are excluded. No figure is shown below 10 postings. How we measure.
