AI / ML Engineer Salary in New Mexico (2026)
The average AI / ML Engineer in New Mexico earns around $220,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $153,775/year ($12,815/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $153,775 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $12,815 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $5,914 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $74/hr |
Federal Tax | $41,704 |
State Tax | $9,712 |
FICA Taxes | $14,809 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 30.1% |
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Read the guideAI / ML Engineer Salary Ranges in New Mexico
Not all AI / ML Engineers earn the same — not even close
New Mexico's AI/ML engineering market is anchored by Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque cleared AI/ML (the substantial Sandia AI for nuclear weapon physics + Sandia post-2022 AI safety + AI for nuclear stewardship + the substantial Sandia computer vision for facility security), Los Alamos National Laboratory LANL cleared AI/ML (the substantial LANL Trinity + Crossroads supercomputer-anchored AI + LANL atmospheric modeling AI + the substantial LANL biothreat AI), Kirtland Air Force Base AFRL Space Vehicles + Directed Energy Directorate cleared AI/ML (space situational awareness + counter-space + directed energy weapon AI), Intel Rio Rancho Fab 11X semiconductor manufacturing AI (yield + process + the substantial Intel Foundry Services AI), Holloman AFB 49th Wing MQ-9 Reaper RPA AI, Cannon AFB 27th SOW AC-130 + AFSOC ISR AI, White Sands Missile Range cleared missile defense AI, plus FAANG remote + Anthropic + OpenAI NM remote opportunities + the substantial NM-resident clearance-eligibility AI pipeline.
Staff / Principal ML Engineer (Sandia / LANL)
$165,000–$305,000+ TC
Senior ML IC at Sandia + LANL · DOE Q clearance premium · cleared AI for nuclear stewardship + ISR
Senior ML Engineer (Sandia DOE)
$135,000–$215,000+ TC
Sandia · AI for nuclear weapon physics + post-2022 AI safety + facility security CV + DOE Q
Senior ML Engineer (LANL DOE)
$135,000–$215,000+ TC
LANL · Trinity + Crossroads HPC-anchored AI + atmospheric modeling + biothreat AI + DOE Q
Senior ML Engineer (Cleared / Kirtland AFRL)
$130,000–$200,000+ TC
Kirtland AFRL · space situational awareness + counter-space + directed energy weapon ML
Senior ML Engineer (Semiconductor / Intel)
$135,000–$215,000+ TC
Intel Rio Rancho · Fab 11X semiconductor yield + process optimization + the substantial Intel Foundry AI
Senior ML Engineer (RPA / ISR / Holloman / Cannon)
$125,000–$195,000+ TC
Holloman 49th Wing MQ-9 + Cannon 27th SOW AC-130 ISR · cleared AI/ML + TS/SCI + poly premium
Senior ML Engineer (WSMR Missile Defense)
$118,000–$185,000+ TC
White Sands Missile Range · cleared missile defense + munitions evaluation ML + Army Test and Evaluation
ML Engineering Manager
$165,000–$285,000+ TC
EM at Sandia + LANL + Kirtland AFRL + Intel · team lead + cleared
Mid-Level ML Engineer (3-6 yrs)
$85,000–$128,000
Functional IC at NM major employers · transitioning to senior band + clearance acquisition
Senior ML Engineer (Remote, NM-based)
$145,000–$245,000+ TC
FAANG NM remote · Anthropic · OpenAI · ABQ + LAS airport hubs · NM cost of living
Worth knowing: Sandia AI for nuclear weapon physics + LANL Trinity-anchored HPC AI is one of the country's most distinctive concentrated US DOE National Laboratory cleared AI/ML operations and a feature most national AI/ML surveys understate for NM. Sandia AI/ML Albuquerque (the substantial Sandia post-2022 AI safety + the substantial Sandia AI for nuclear weapon physics + the substantial Sandia computational science AI + the substantial Sandia computer vision for facility security + the substantial Sandia Z Machine AI for pulsed-power physics + the substantial Sandia Microsystems Engineering Sciences and Applications MESA AI for semiconductor design + the substantial Sandia cleared AI ML engineer workforce supporting nuclear stewardship + nuclear non-proliferation) operates substantial cleared AI/ML work. LANL AI/ML Los Alamos (the substantial LANL Trinity supercomputer + Crossroads ATS-3 supercomputer-anchored AI + the substantial LANL atmospheric modeling AI + LANL Earth Systems Observation AI + the substantial LANL biothreat + biosafety AI + the substantial LANL Advanced Simulation and Computing ASC AI supporting nuclear stewardship + the substantial LANL post-2024 plutonium pit production qualification AI + the substantial LANL cleared AI ML engineer workforce) operates substantial cleared HPC-anchored AI/ML work. Senior cleared Sandia + LANL ML engineers clear $135-305K+ TC with DOE Q clearance premium. Kirtland AFRL Space Vehicles + Directed Energy Directorate substantial cleared space situational awareness + counter-space + directed energy weapon modeling AI supporting the substantial AFRL space + laser + microwave weapons research. Intel Rio Rancho Fab 11X substantial semiconductor manufacturing AI supporting yield + process + the substantial Intel Foundry Services post-2021 expansion. Holloman AFB 49th Wing substantial MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft ISR AI + the substantial post-2014 Holloman MQ-9 training mission expansion + Cannon AFB 27th Special Operations Wing substantial AC-130 + the substantial AFSOC ISR AI. White Sands Missile Range substantial cleared missile defense + munitions evaluation ML. NM progressive 1.7-5.9% top by 2026 + NM is NOT a RTW state + NM property tax ~0.74% + no state estate tax + NM gross receipts tax ~5.125% state + local anchor the NM AI/ML proposition.
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More on New Mexico
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for New Mexico in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for New Mexico in 2026.
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