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Home / Compensation / Perplexity / ML Engineer
Total compensation for a Perplexity ML Engineer ranges from about $275K at the entry level to $1.2M+ at the most senior bands, with a typical mid-level package around $575K. Below is the full breakdown by level - base salary, annual equity, and bonus - from public-source data.
Public-source estimates (Beta). Last updated 2026-06. Figures are annualized USD.
| Level | Years | Base (p50) | Equity/yr (p50) | Bonus (p50) | Total (p25-p90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineerML Engineer | 2-5 YOE | $195K | $140K | - | $275K - $505K |
| SeniorSenior ML Engineer | 4-8 YOE | $225K | $215K | - | $360K - $670K |
| StaffStaff ML Engineer | 7-12 YOE | $250K | $325K | - | $465K - $910K |
| PrincipalPrincipal ML Engineer | 10+ YOE | $270K | $450K | - | $575K - $1.2M |
Entry ML level for experienced hires. Strong retrieval / ranking background expected.
Most-common ML hire. Search-quality and post-training work commands the top of band.
Staff ML IC. Paper-equity-dominant; frontier-lab counteroffers set the ceiling.
Small population. Effectively bespoke offers for senior research-adjacent talent.
ML and research engineering is Perplexity's premium hiring category - search ranking, RAG infrastructure, and model post-training. Bands run ~8-12% above SWE at the same level, and candidates with frontier-lab (OpenAI / Anthropic / DeepMind) competing offers routinely clear p90. Equity is illiquid private stock; no cash bonus.
The offer calculator compares your current and target offers 4 years out - vesting, refresh grants, and federal + state + FICA tax - so you negotiate with real take-home numbers.
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