Role report · Data & AI
Applied AI Engineer: what employers ask for
Of 117 Applied AI Engineer postings from 82 employers in the United States and Canada over the last 180 days, 76% ask for AI Agents, 68% for Python, 62% for LLMs, 44% for Machine Learning and 37% for Prompt Engineering.
From 117 Applied AI Engineer postings in the United States and Canada, April 23, 2026 to October 20, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026. How we count
- Postings read
- 117from 82 employers
- Remote
- 32%of postings
- Most common level
- Mid61% of postings
- Experience asked
- 4 yearsmedian, from 67 postings that state it
- Advertised pay
- $190,000median a year, from 49 postings in US dollars
The skills employers ask for most
The share of Applied AI Engineer postings that name each skill, and how often a posting that names it lists it as required rather than nice to have.
| Skill | Share of postings | Required when named |
|---|---|---|
| AI Agents | 89% | |
| Python | 95% | |
| LLMs | 89% | |
| Machine Learning | 88% | |
| Prompt Engineering | 86% | |
| Observability | 74% | |
| RAG | 81% | |
| AI Coding Tools | 86% | |
| LLM Evaluation | 89% | |
| REST APIs | 88% | |
| TypeScript | 67% | |
| CI/CD | 74% | |
| SQL | 89% | |
| Git | 92% | |
| Generative AI | 100% | |
| AWS | 58% | |
| Azure | 70% | |
| ETL/ELT | 91% | |
| LLM APIs | 62% | |
| MLOps | 67% |
Taking a larger share
Month on month, comparing like with like; only moves clear of noise are named.
Seniority
| Level | Share | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Mid | 71 | |
| Senior | 22 | |
| Staff | 11 | |
| Principal | 6 | |
| Lead | 5 | |
| Junior | 2 |
Professional skills
Asked for alongside the technical ones.
- Communication62%
- Stakeholder Management56%
- Leadership28%
- Technical Leadership11%
- Debugging11%
Advertised pay
49 of these postings state pay in US dollars. The middle half of their ranges' midpoints runs from $142,000 to $231,000 a year, with a median of $190,000. Pay by level, and what each skill adds to it like for like, is in the app.
Employers with the most postings
- OpenAI15 postings
- Anthropic6 postings
- NVIDIA3 postings
- Manulife3 postings
- Groundswell3 postings
- Cora AI3 postings
- Microsoft2 postings
- Booz Allen Hamilton2 postings
Quick answers
What skills does an Applied AI Engineer need?
The skills named most often in Applied AI Engineer postings are AI Agents, Python, LLMs, Machine Learning and Prompt Engineering. AI Agents appears in 76% of them.
Are Applied AI Engineer jobs remote?
32% of the 117 Applied AI Engineer postings in the last 180 days were remote.
How much experience do Applied AI Engineer jobs ask for?
Postings that state it ask for a median of 4 years. The most common level is Mid (61% of postings).
What does an Applied AI Engineer earn?
Postings that state pay advertise a typical $142,000 to $231,000 a year, with a median of $190,000, from 49 postings in US dollars.
Which skills are growing for Applied AI Engineer roles?
MLOps, Generative AI, Observability, AWS and Software Engineering are taking a larger share of Applied AI Engineer postings, month on month and comparing like with like.