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Home / Compensation / Nvidia / ML Engineer
Total compensation for a Nvidia ML Engineer ranges from about $180K at the entry level to $2.5M+ at the most senior bands, with a typical mid-level package around $530K. 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 | $150K | $62K | $13K | $180K - $360K |
| IC4ML Engineer | 2-5 YOE | $185K | $135K | $25K | $270K - $640K |
| IC5Senior ML Engineer | 5-9 YOE | $240K | $245K | $40K | $395K - $985K |
| IC6Staff ML Engineer | 8-14 YOE | $295K | $445K | $65K | $605K - $1.6M |
| IC7Distinguished ML Engineer | 13+ YOE | $350K | $760K | $90K | $880K - $2.5M |
Entry-level. Equity is the dominant component due to NVDA appreciation.
Mid-level. CUDA / kernel work pulls top of band.
Senior IC. Top-of-band offers concentrated in ML systems.
Staff IC. Foundation-model training and inference systems premium.
Distinguished. One of the highest-paying ML IC bands in tech.
Nvidia ML / deep-learning engineer comp tracks SWE bands closely with a notable premium for CUDA, kernel, GPU-compiler, and large-scale-training systems work. NVDA stock appreciation has substantially boosted realized comp for tenured ML engineers.
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