Prompt Engineer Salary — 2026 Data
Design, evaluate, and ship LLM prompts, agents, and retrieval pipelines. Compare compensation across 50 locations, from entry-level to senior positions.
| Location | Entry-Level | Mid-Level | Senior | COL Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $122K – $176K | $169K – $236K | $223K – $317K | 180 |
| New York | $115K – $166K | $160K – $224K | $211K – $301K | 170 |
| San Jose | $121K – $174K | $168K – $235K | $221K – $315K | 178 |
| Seattle | $110K – $159K | $153K – $214K | $201K – $287K | 155 |
| Los Angeles | $103K – $150K | $144K – $201K | $190K – $270K | 150 |
| Boston | $106K – $153K | $148K – $207K | $195K – $277K | 145 |
| Washington D.C. | $108K – $156K | $150K – $210K | $198K – $282K | 150 |
| San Diego | $101K – $146K | $140K – $196K | $185K – $263K | 140 |
| Chicago | $95K – $137K | $131K – $184K | $173K – $247K | 115 |
| Austin | $97K – $140K | $135K – $189K | $178K – $254K | 110 |
| Denver | $95K – $137K | $131K – $184K | $173K – $247K | 120 |
| Atlanta | $90K – $130K | $125K – $175K | $165K – $235K | 105 |
| Dallas | $90K – $130K | $125K – $175K | $165K – $235K | 105 |
| Houston | $89K – $129K | $124K – $173K | $163K – $233K | 102 |
| Miami | $95K – $137K | $131K – $184K | $173K – $247K | 125 |
| Phoenix | $86K – $124K | $119K – $166K | $157K – $223K | 100 |
| Philadelphia | $92K – $133K | $128K – $179K | $168K – $240K | 110 |
| Minneapolis | $92K – $133K | $128K – $179K | $168K – $240K | 108 |
| Portland | $97K – $140K | $135K – $189K | $178K – $254K | 130 |
| San Antonio | $83K – $120K | $115K – $161K | $152K – $216K | 95 |
| Detroit | $85K – $122K | $118K – $165K | $155K – $221K | 95 |
| Raleigh | $88K – $127K | $123K – $172K | $162K – $230K | 102 |
| Charlotte | $88K – $127K | $123K – $172K | $162K – $230K | 102 |
| Nashville | $89K – $129K | $124K – $173K | $163K – $233K | 105 |
| Orlando | $86K – $124K | $119K – $166K | $157K – $223K | 102 |
| Tampa | $86K – $125K | $120K – $168K | $158K – $226K | 100 |
| Jacksonville | $83K – $120K | $115K – $161K | $152K – $216K | 98 |
| Salt Lake City | $88K – $127K | $123K – $172K | $162K – $230K | 108 |
| Pittsburgh | $83K – $120K | $115K – $161K | $152K – $216K | 95 |
| Indianapolis | $83K – $120K | $115K – $161K | $152K – $216K | 95 |
| Columbus | $84K – $121K | $116K – $163K | $153K – $219K | 95 |
| Cleveland | $81K – $117K | $113K – $158K | $149K – $212K | 92 |
| Cincinnati | $82K – $118K | $114K – $159K | $150K – $214K | 94 |
| Kansas City | $85K – $122K | $118K – $165K | $155K – $221K | 95 |
| St. Louis | $83K – $120K | $115K – $161K | $152K – $216K | 92 |
| Milwaukee | $84K – $121K | $116K – $163K | $153K – $219K | 94 |
| Baltimore | $90K – $130K | $125K – $175K | $165K – $235K | 108 |
| Richmond | $86K – $124K | $119K – $166K | $157K – $223K | 100 |
| Virginia Beach | $85K – $122K | $118K – $165K | $155K – $221K | 98 |
| Sacramento | $95K – $137K | $131K – $184K | $173K – $247K | 125 |
| Las Vegas | $88K – $127K | $123K – $172K | $162K – $230K | 108 |
| Oklahoma City | $79K – $114K | $110K – $154K | $145K – $207K | 88 |
| Memphis | $79K – $114K | $110K – $154K | $145K – $207K | 88 |
| Louisville | $81K – $117K | $113K – $158K | $149K – $212K | 90 |
| New Orleans | $83K – $120K | $115K – $161K | $152K – $216K | 95 |
| Albuquerque | $81K – $117K | $113K – $158K | $149K – $212K | 95 |
| Tucson | $81K – $117K | $113K – $158K | $149K – $212K | 95 |
| Buffalo | $81K – $117K | $113K – $158K | $149K – $212K | 90 |
| Honolulu | $95K – $137K | $131K – $184K | $173K – $247K | 175 |
| Remote (US) | $86K – $124K | $119K – $166K | $157K – $223K | 100 |
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