How much does a AI / ML Engineer make in Arizona?

BLS puts the average AI / ML Engineer pay in Arizona at $152,580 a year (BLS, May 2025). On that pay in Arizona, after federal taxes, FICA, and Arizona state taxes, your estimated take-home pay is approximately $112,142 annually ($9,345/month).

What is the take-home pay for a AI / ML Engineer in Arizona?

On a $152,580 salary in Arizona, your take-home pay is approximately $112,142/year or $9,345/month. Federal tax: $25,353. State tax: $3,412. FICA: $11,672.

Is $152,580 a good AI / ML Engineer salary?

$152,580 is the BLS average AI / ML Engineer pay in Arizona, about the same as the US average of $153,930 (BLS, May 2025). The middle 50% in Arizona earn between $96,300 and $164,960. Arizona economy: Growing tech, healthcare, and real estate industries.

How do Arizona taxes affect AI / ML Engineer salaries?

Arizona levies state income tax on top of federal taxes. Your estimated state tax on $152,580 is $3,412. Your total effective tax rate is approximately 26.5%.

What are the career growth prospects for AI / ML Engineers?

In Arizona, the top 10% earn over $386,290 and the bottom 10% under $62,870 (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects 23% growth through 2032 for computer/info-research scientists (which AI/ML engineers fall under) — among the fastest-growing tech roles. Frontier-lab demand uniquely strong — OpenAI / Anthropic / xAI / Mistral / DeepMind hiring senior MLEs at premium pay plus equity. Related roles include: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Research Scientist, Applied Scientist, Deep Learning Engineer, NLP Engineer, Computer Vision Engineer, MLE, AI Engineer, Quant ML Engineer.

How can a AI / ML Engineer in Arizona reduce their tax bill?

Maximize your 401(k) contribution ($24,500 in 2026) to reduce taxable income. An HSA ($4,400 single / $8,750 family) adds further pre-tax savings. These strategies can save thousands annually — use our calculator to see your exact savings.

Tech

AI / ML Engineer Salary in Arizona (2026)

Average AI / ML Engineer pay in Arizona

$152,580/year

≈ $73/hour before tax

Middle 50% earn $96,300–$164,960

US average: $153,930

Source: BLS, May 2025 · Computer and Information Research Scientists

After tax (single filer)

$112,142/year

$9,345/month · effective tax rate 26.5%

Federal $25,353
State $3,412
FICA $11,672
Take-home

Pay by role in Arizona

Principal ML Engineer / Senior Scientist$245,000–$425,000+ TC
Senior ML Engineer (Semiconductor)$175,000–$285,000
Senior ML Engineer (Healthcare AI)$155,000–$245,000
Senior ML Engineer (E-commerce / SaaS)$145,000–$225,000
Senior ML Engineer (Aerospace / Defense)$165,000–$275,000
Senior MLOps Engineer$135,000–$210,000

See all 10 roles with notes

See the full tax breakdown

Category	Amount
Annual Take-Home Pay	$112,142
Monthly Take-Home Pay	$9,345
Biweekly Take-Home Pay	$4,313
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year	$54/hr
Federal Tax	$25,353
State Tax	$3,412
FICA Taxes	$11,672
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary	26.5%

Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

Not all AI / ML Engineers earn the same — not even close

Arizona's AI/ML engineering market is anchored by the semiconductor manufacturing AI cluster (Intel Chandler Fab 42/52 manufacturing analytics + AI, TSMC Fab 21 Phoenix process AI), Honeywell HQ Phoenix (aerospace + sensor data AI/ML), Banner Health Phoenix (largest AZ hospital system, ~50K employees, clinical AI applications), Mayo Clinic Scottsdale research AI, Carvana HQ Tempe (online vehicle pricing + valuation ML), Insight Enterprises Tempe, plus ASU's substantial Schools of Computing and Augmented Intelligence (largest US university enrollment).

Principal ML Engineer / Senior Scientist

$245,000–$425,000+ TC

Intel Chandler senior ML · Honeywell senior AI/ML · Mayo Clinic research scientist senior tier

Senior ML Engineer (Semiconductor)

$175,000–$285,000

Intel + TSMC manufacturing analytics · yield optimization · process control ML · semiconductor specialty

Senior ML Engineer (Healthcare AI)

$155,000–$245,000

Banner Health clinical AI · Mayo Clinic research · HonorHealth · Dignity Health · clinical-data ML premium

Senior ML Engineer (E-commerce / SaaS)

$145,000–$225,000

Carvana online vehicle pricing · GoDaddy ML · PetSmart · Avnet supply-chain · senior IC

Senior ML Engineer (Aerospace / Defense)

$165,000–$275,000

Honeywell defense + aerospace ML · Raytheon Missile Systems Tucson · cleared work · TS/SCI premium

Senior MLOps Engineer

$135,000–$210,000

Production ML deployment · Intel manufacturing pipelines · Carvana real-time scoring · senior platform IC

ML Engineer (Mid-Level, 3-6 yrs)

$115,000–$175,000

Most common mid-career band · ASU + UA + Northern Arizona pipeline · cross-industry

Junior ML Engineer (0-3 yrs)

$92,000–$135,000

Post-ASU + UA + GCU + NAU MS/PhD · Intel new-grad ML program · entry band

Senior Quant Researcher (Investment / Fintech)

$185,000–$305,000

Charles Schwab Phoenix · Western Alliance Bancorp · Vanguard satellite · TIAA Phoenix

Senior Computer Vision Engineer (Auto / Manufact)

$155,000–$245,000

Carvana vehicle visual recognition · Intel wafer inspection · Honeywell sensor fusion specialty

Worth knowing: The Intel + TSMC semiconductor manufacturing AI ecosystem is the structural depth feature most national AI/ML-career surveys understate for AZ. Intel Chandler Fab 42 + Fab 52 (~$50B+ cumulative investment including CHIPS Act funding) plus TSMC Fab 21 Phoenix Phase 1+2+3 ($65B planned through 2027+) together operate the country's largest semiconductor manufacturing AI/ML workforce — yield optimization, process control, equipment maintenance prediction, and wafer inspection all rely on substantial ML applications. Senior semiconductor ML engineers clear $175-310K TC with manufacturing-AI specialty premium. Banner Health (Phoenix-based, ~50K employees, the largest hospital system west of the Mississippi by patient volume) operates substantial clinical AI applications. Mayo Clinic Scottsdale research division operates clinical research AI/ML. Carvana HQ Tempe (online used vehicle retail, ~$10B+ annual revenue at scale) operates substantial vehicle pricing + valuation + recommendation ML. The AZ 2.5% flat tax (HB 2870 of 2022 — lowest non-zero state income tax in country) plus no county piggyback + AZ Charitable Tax Credit Stack ($1,257 single combined dollar-for-dollar credits) means many ML engineers at $130-200K comp tiers substantially reduce state tax liability. Combined with 0.62% effective property tax + no estate tax, AZ has emerged as a serious CA/NY senior-tech relocation destination.

Sources & Methodology

Salary figures are market estimates for AI / ML Engineers in Arizona and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Arizona 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.

Run your own numbers