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Home / Compensation / Google / ML Engineer
Total compensation for a Google ML Engineer ranges from about $180K at the entry level to $1.6M+ at the most senior bands, with a typical mid-level package around $440K. 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L3ML Engineer (New Grad) | 0-2 YOE | $150K | $38K | $18K | $180K - $255K |
| L4ML Engineer | 3-5 YOE | $200K | $85K | $32K | $255K - $430K |
| L5Senior ML Engineer | 5-9 YOE | $245K | $145K | $50K | $365K - $640K |
| L6Staff ML Engineer | 8-15 YOE | $285K | $280K | $75K | $510K - $1M |
| L7Senior Staff ML Engineer | 12+ YOE | $325K | $460K | $100K | $720K - $1.6M |
Entry-level ML role. PhD candidates often start at L4.
Mid-level. Common landing for new PhDs in ML/AI.
Senior IC. DeepMind/Brain candidates negotiate above this band.
Staff. Premium for foundation-model and accelerator-software work.
Senior staff. Counter-offers from OpenAI / Anthropic move the top end.
Google ML engineer comp tracks the SWE ladder closely with a 5-15% premium at L5+ for research-adjacent roles (DeepMind, Brain). Specialty in LLM training, distributed training, or accelerator software pulls offers toward the top of the band.
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