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

BLS puts the average AI / ML Engineer pay in Minnesota at $137,690 a year (BLS, May 2025). On that pay in Minnesota, after federal taxes, FICA, and Minnesota state taxes, your estimated take-home pay is approximately $97,402 annually ($8,117/month).

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

On a $137,690 salary in Minnesota, your take-home pay is approximately $97,402/year or $8,117/month. Federal tax: $21,780. State tax: $7,976. FICA: $10,533.

Is $137,690 a good AI / ML Engineer salary?

$137,690 is the BLS average AI / ML Engineer pay in Minnesota, 11% below the US average of $153,930 (BLS, May 2025). The middle 50% in Minnesota earn between $118,870 and $158,830.

How do Minnesota taxes affect AI / ML Engineer salaries?

Minnesota levies state income tax on top of federal taxes. Your estimated state tax on $137,690 is $7,976. Your total effective tax rate is approximately 29.3%.

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

In Minnesota, the top 10% earn over $174,740 and the bottom 10% under $83,920 (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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota (2026)

Average AI / ML Engineer pay in Minnesota

$137,690/year

≈ $66/hour before tax

Middle 50% earn $118,870–$158,830

US average: $153,930

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

After tax (single filer)

$97,402/year

$8,117/month · effective tax rate 29.26%

Federal $21,780
State $7,976
FICA $10,533
Take-home

Pay by role in Minnesota

Principal ML Engineer / Director$265,000–$465,000+ TC
Senior ML Engineer (Healthcare AI)$175,000–$265,000
Senior ML Engineer (Retail / Personalization)$165,000–$245,000
Senior ML Engineer (Commodity / Trading)$175,000–$285,000
Senior Research Scientist (Mayo Clinic AI)$165,000–$265,000
Senior ML Engineer (Industrial / R&D)$155,000–$225,000

See all 10 roles with notes

See the full tax breakdown

Category	Amount
Annual Take-Home Pay	$97,402
Monthly Take-Home Pay	$8,117
Biweekly Take-Home Pay	$3,746
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year	$47/hr
Federal Tax	$21,780
State Tax	$7,976
FICA Taxes	$10,533
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary	29.26%

Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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

Minnesota's AI/ML engineer market is anchored by UnitedHealth Optum Minnetonka (~25K MN, substantial healthcare AI across Optum's claims + clinical decision + risk-adjustment ML organizations), Target HQ Minneapolis (Target.com personalization + computer vision in stores + supply-chain optimization ML), Cargill Wayzata commodity-trading AI + ag-supply-chain ML at the country's largest private company by revenue, Mayo Clinic Platform + Mayo Clinic AI Lab Rochester (top-2 US academic clinical AI development), and 3M industrial R&D AI across abrasives + medical + safety divisions.

Principal ML Engineer / Director

$265,000–$465,000+ TC

UHG Optum + Target + Cargill principal · senior IC + ML platform leadership

Senior ML Engineer (Healthcare AI)

$175,000–$265,000

UHG Optum AI + HealthPartners + Medtronic device AI · HIPAA + clinical AI specialty

Senior ML Engineer (Retail / Personalization)

$165,000–$245,000

Target.com personalization + Best Buy recommendation systems + Buick GMC + Cub

Senior ML Engineer (Commodity / Trading)

$175,000–$285,000

Cargill trading AI + CHS + Land O'Lakes · forecasting + RL trading systems specialty

Senior Research Scientist (Mayo Clinic AI)

$165,000–$265,000

Mayo Clinic Platform + Mayo Clinic AI Lab · radiology + cardiology + oncology imaging

Senior ML Engineer (Industrial / R&D)

$155,000–$225,000

3M materials AI + Medtronic device AI + Honeywell sensor AI · MS/PhD typical

ML Platform / MLOps Engineer

$155,000–$235,000

UHG + Target + Cargill MLOps platforms · model deployment + monitoring + governance specialty

Mid-Level ML Engineer (3-6 yrs)

$118,000–$175,000

Functional ML IC at MN Fortune 500 · transitioning to senior band

Junior ML Engineer (0-3 yrs)

$92,000–$135,000

U of MN CSE + GroupLens + MSDS pipeline · Carleton + Macalester CS feeders · entry band

Senior ML Engineer (Remote, MN-based)

$215,000–$385,000+ TC

FAANG MN remote + Anthropic + OpenAI remote MN · MSP-airport hub advantageous for travel

Worth knowing: Mayo Clinic Platform is the deepest academic clinical-AI employer in the upper Midwest and an anchor most national ML surveys miss for MN. Mayo Clinic Platform (launched 2020) is Mayo Clinic Rochester's central AI + digital health unit, including Mayo Clinic AI Lab — Mayo's clinical AI publications consistently rank among the most cited in healthcare AI globally, including substantial radiology + cardiology + oncology imaging AI development partnerships (Google + nference + Cerebras among major partners). Senior Mayo AI scientists clear $165-265K TC. UnitedHealth Optum AI Minnetonka operates the country's largest healthcare AI engineering organization including substantial GenAI + clinical decision support + claims-automation AI at Fortune 5 scale. Cargill commodity-trading AI rivals top hedge funds in scope — agricultural + ocean freight + sugar + cocoa forecasting + RL trading systems at $165B-revenue scale. MN's 9.85% top bracket catches senior ML engineers at $250K+ TC — substantial drag vs SD/TX/FL residency. MN does NOT have preferential rates, affecting any ML engineer with material employer-equity vesting (FAANG remote especially).

Sources & Methodology

Salary figures are market estimates for AI / ML Engineers in Minnesota and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Minnesota 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