AI engineer vs ML engineer vs data engineer in 2026

By Q2 2026 bid data: AI engineers (building on LLMs/agents) median $275k base. ML engineers (training/serving models) median $260k. Data engineers (pipelines, warehouses, infra) median $230k.

Equity goes the other way: data engineers at seed startups often get 0.5–1.0% because the role is foundational. AI engineers at growth-stage companies get 0.05–0.15% because the seat is hot but late.

Pick the title that matches what you've shipped, not what's trendy. Bidders see through it.