Private Banking & Wealth Mgmt · VP · 3 to 7 years typical
AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications Salary
Annual base compensation, national and by market, from 257 named sources. Every figure below says where it came from.
| Market | Multiplier | P25 | P50 | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | 1.40× | $195,000 | $260,000 | $330,000 | $405,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | 1.30× | $180,000 | $240,000 | $305,000 | $375,000 |
| Boston, MA | 1.25× | $175,000 | $230,000 | $295,000 | $365,000 |
| Palm Beach, FL | 1.25× | $175,000 | $230,000 | $295,000 | $365,000 |
| Miami, FL | 1.23× | $170,000 | $225,000 | $290,000 | $355,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.20× | $170,000 | $220,000 | $280,000 | $350,000 |
| Washington, DC | 1.20× | $170,000 | $220,000 | $280,000 | $350,000 |
| Seattle, WA | 1.15× | $160,000 | $215,000 | $270,000 | $335,000 |
| Chicago, IL | 1.05× | $145,000 | $195,000 | $245,000 | $305,000 |
| Dallas, TX | 1.00× | $140,000 | $185,000 | $235,000 | $290,000 |
Time to fill 50 weeks for comparable searches, estimated from rouka's benchmark set.
Hyper-personalized advisory. NLP for client communications. Predictive analytics for churn/next-best-action. Compliance automation. Portfolio optimization. Responsible AI governance.
What does an AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications do?
The AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications operates within private banks, wealth management firms, and trust companies, serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients with investment advisory, estate planning, and banking services. Professionals in this role typically bring 3 to 7 years of relevant experience. Classified at the VP level, this position draws from a very tight candidate market with an estimated pool of 15-35 qualified professionals, making targeted sourcing and competitive compensation critical for successful placements.
What drives AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications compensation?
The median (P50) compensation for an AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications is $185,000, with the 25th to 75th percentile range spanning $140,000 to $235,000. The 51% spread between P25 and P75 reflects significant pay variation driven by book size and client AUM, revenue generated, client segment (HNW vs. UHNW), product complexity, regulatory licensing, and the firm's compensation model (salary + bonus vs. revenue share). Demand for this role is trending upward with 22% year-over-year growth, which is putting upward pressure on compensation at all levels.
AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications career path
Professionals who move into AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications roles most commonly come from institutional banking, financial advisory, trust and estate law, investment management, or family office operations. From this position, the typical trajectory leads toward managing director and market head positions, regional leadership, or transitioning to independent RIA or multi-family office platforms. The average tenure in this role is approximately 2.5 years, with an annual turnover rate of 25%.
Hiring an AI/ML Engineer – Wealth Applications?
A search playbook for this seat: compensation positioning against the band above, the sourcing map, and the interview framework.