Best US States for Machine Learning Engineers
All 50 states + DC ranked by Machine Learning Engineer salary. State tax structure noted for take-home math.
| # | State | Estimated salary | Cost mult. | State tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $194,700 | 1.18× | ~5% effective |
| 2 | Washington | $189,600 | 1.10× | No state tax |
| 3 | Colorado | $186,400 | 1.05× | ~5% effective |
| 4 | Hawaii | $184,100 | 1.15× | ~5% effective |
| 5 | Arizona | $183,200 | 1.00× | ~5% effective |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $182,200 | 1.12× | ~5% effective |
| 7 | Maryland | $179,800 | 1.08× | ~5% effective |
| 8 | Idaho | $178,700 | 0.93× | ~5% effective |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $178,700 | 0.93× | ~5% effective |
| 10 | New Mexico | $178,000 | 0.92× | ~5% effective |
| # | State | Salary | After state tax (rough) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $194,700 | $142,812 |
| 2 | Washington | $189,600 | $148,552 |
| 3 | Colorado | $186,400 | $136,724 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $184,100 | $135,037 |
| 5 | Arizona | $183,200 | $134,377 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $182,200 | $133,644 |
| 7 | Maryland | $179,800 | $131,883 |
| 8 | Idaho | $178,700 | $131,076 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $178,700 | $131,076 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $178,000 | $130,563 |
| 11 | Oregon | $178,000 | $130,563 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $176,600 | $129,536 |
| 13 | New York | $173,700 | $127,409 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $173,100 | $126,969 |
| 15 | Texas | $173,100 | $135,624 |
| 16 | Utah | $173,100 | $126,969 |
| 17 | Alaska | $172,500 | $135,154 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $172,500 | $126,529 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $170,800 | $125,282 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $170,000 | $124,695 |
| 21 | Kansas | $169,400 | $124,255 |
| 22 | Missouri | $168,800 | $123,815 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $167,900 | $131,550 |
| 24 | Alabama | $167,600 | $122,935 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $167,600 | $122,935 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $166,700 | $122,274 |
| 27 | Virginia | $166,700 | $122,274 |
| 28 | Nevada | $166,200 | $130,218 |
| 29 | Delaware | $165,000 | $121,028 |
| 30 | Florida | $165,000 | $129,278 |
| 31 | Illinois | $165,000 | $121,028 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $165,000 | $121,028 |
| 33 | Vermont | $164,400 | $120,587 |
| 34 | Maine | $163,300 | $119,781 |
| 35 | Georgia | $161,500 | $118,460 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $161,500 | $118,460 |
| 37 | Michigan | $161,000 | $118,094 |
| 38 | Montana | $161,000 | $118,094 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $161,000 | $126,144 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $160,400 | $117,653 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $160,400 | $125,673 |
| 42 | Indiana | $159,800 | $117,213 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $159,800 | $117,213 |
| 44 | Ohio | $159,800 | $117,213 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $159,800 | $125,203 |
| 46 | Iowa | $159,200 | $116,773 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $159,200 | $116,773 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $158,100 | $115,966 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $156,900 | $115,086 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $156,900 | $115,086 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $155,800 | $114,279 |
What moves with you and what does not
Machine Learning Engineer does not require state licensure, so nothing formal stops you working in any state on this list. Where pay differences persist, they reflect employer concentration and cost of living rather than a regulatory barrier — which also means they compress faster than they do in licensed fields.
Tax and what the numbers are worth
Income tax reshuffles this ranking. Washington appears in the top ten and levies no state income tax, so the gross figures understate take-home there by roughly 3–6% relative to a taxing state at the same salary. Against a high-tax state, that is worth several thousand dollars a year at this occupation's median of $165,000.
No state funds itself on nothing. The income-tax advantage in these states typically shows up again as higher property or sales tax, which changes the calculation depending on whether you rent, own, and how much you spend.
The spread from Mississippi ($155,800) to California ($194,700) is 25%. Cost of living explains most of it — a state paying 25% above the national median for this role usually costs proportionally more to live in, which is why cost-adjusted rankings look different from nominal ones.
Where the field is heading
Nationally, Machine Learning Engineer employment is projected to grow strongly — 20% through 2034, with roughly 0 openings a year counting replacements. Growth is rarely evenly distributed: states with the industry concentration driving that growth will feel it first, and the ranking above is a reasonable proxy for where.
Salaries are modelled from BLS national medians adjusted for local price level at a wage elasticity below 1 — pay rises with local costs but not proportionally. See our methodology.