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Home / Compensation / Airbnb / ML Engineer
Total compensation for a Airbnb ML Engineer ranges from about $200K at the entry level to $1.7M+ at the most senior bands, with a typical mid-level package around $485K. Below is the full breakdown by level - base salary, annual equity, and bonus - from public-source data.
Public-source estimates (Beta). Last updated 2026-05. Figures are annualized USD.
| Level | Years | Base (p50) | Equity/yr (p50) | Bonus (p50) | Total (p25-p90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IC3ML Engineer (New Grad) | 0-2 YOE | $165K | $52K | $15K | $200K - $300K |
| IC4ML Engineer | 2-5 YOE | $205K | $95K | $28K | $280K - $470K |
| IC5Senior ML Engineer | 5-9 YOE | $245K | $180K | $50K | $390K - $740K |
| IC6Staff ML Engineer | 8-14 YOE | $295K | $305K | $70K | $545K - $1.1M |
| IC7Principal ML Engineer | 12+ YOE | $340K | $525K | $100K | $760K - $1.7M |
Entry-level ML role. PhD candidates often start at IC4.
Mid-level. Most-common external ML hire.
Senior ML IC. Search ranking pulls top of band.
Staff ML IC. Equity dominates.
Principal ML. Limited population.
Airbnb ML engineer ladder mirrors SWE (IC3-IC7). Search ranking, host/guest matching, and trust/safety ML are major hiring areas. Comp tracks SWE within ~5%.
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