How much does a AI / ML Engineer make in West Virginia?

The average AI / ML Engineer salary in West Virginia is around $220,000 per year. After federal taxes, FICA, and West Virginia state taxes, your estimated take-home pay is approximately $154,300 annually ($12,858/month).

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

On a $220,000 salary in West Virginia, your take-home pay is approximately $154,300/year or $12,858/month. Federal tax: $41,704. State tax: $9,187. FICA: $14,809.

Is $220,000 a good AI / ML Engineer salary?

$220,000 is a strong salary for a AI / ML Engineer — above the national median. In West Virginia, demand for this role is active.

How do West Virginia taxes affect AI / ML Engineer salaries?

West Virginia levies state income tax on top of federal taxes. Your estimated state tax on $220,000 is $9,187. Your total effective tax rate is approximately 29.9%.

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

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 at premium tiers $300K-$700K base alone for senior MLE, plus equity 1.5x-3x base.. 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia (2026)

Average AI / ML Engineer pay in West Virginia

$220,000/year

≈ $106/hour before tax

After tax (single filer)

$154,300/year

$12,858/month · effective tax rate 29.86%

Federal $41,704
State $9,187
FICA $14,809
Take-home

Pay by role in West Virginia

Staff / Principal ML Engineer (FBI CJIS / NETL / WVU)$165,000–$285,000+ TC
Senior ML Engineer (Cleared / FBI CJIS Biometric)$135,000–$215,000
Senior ML Engineer (Federal / NETL / NIOSH)$118,000–$182,000
Senior ML Engineer (Clinical / WVU Medicine)$115,000–$172,000
Senior ML Engineer (Academic Research)$95,000–$148,000
Senior ML Engineer (Energy / Marcellus)$118,000–$185,000

See all 10 roles with notes

See the full tax breakdown

Category	Amount
Annual Take-Home Pay	$154,300
Monthly Take-Home Pay	$12,858
Biweekly Take-Home Pay	$5,935
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year	$74/hr
Federal Tax	$41,704
State Tax	$9,187
FICA Taxes	$14,809
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary	29.86%

Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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

West Virginia's AI/ML engineering market is anchored by FBI CJIS Clarksburg (criminal justice AI + biometric matching + NICS firearms analytics), NIOSH Morgantown (occupational health AI + black lung detection + respirator certification ML), NETL Morgantown (DOE energy systems AI + CCUS modeling + Marcellus shale prediction), WVU Medicine clinical AI (decision support + radiology AI + opioid epidemiology), WVU School of Public Health Appalachian health ML, WVU Statler College of Engineering AI/ML research, plus cleared federal contractor + FAANG remote opportunities filling on WV cost of living advantage.

Staff / Principal ML Engineer (FBI CJIS / NETL / WVU)

$165,000–$285,000+ TC

Senior ML IC at WV cleared federal + academic research

Senior ML Engineer (Cleared / FBI CJIS Biometric)

$135,000–$215,000

FBI CJIS · biometric matching + facial recognition + IAFIS · TS/SCI + poly premium

Senior ML Engineer (Federal / NETL / NIOSH)

$118,000–$182,000

NETL CCUS modeling + NIOSH occupational health ML · GS-13/14 federal + contractor

Senior ML Engineer (Clinical / WVU Medicine)

$115,000–$172,000

WVU Medicine + CAMC + WVU Cancer · clinical decision support + radiology AI

Senior ML Engineer (Academic Research)

$95,000–$148,000

WVU Statler + WVU Public Health + Marshall research · NSF + NIH + DoD-funded

Senior ML Engineer (Energy / Marcellus)

$118,000–$185,000

Diversified Energy + Antero + EQT · Marcellus shale prediction + well production ML

ML Engineering Manager

$155,000–$255,000+ TC

EM at WV cleared contractors + WVU + healthcare · team lead

Mid-Level ML Engineer (3-6 yrs)

$82,000–$125,000

Functional IC at WV major employers · transitioning to senior band

Junior ML Engineer (0-3 yrs)

$62,000–$88,000

WVU + Marshall + WV State + WV Tech pipeline · entry band

Senior ML Engineer (Remote, WV-based)

$135,000–$235,000+ TC

FAANG WV remote · Anthropic · OpenAI · WV cost of living + MGW + CRW airports

Worth knowing: FBI CJIS Division Clarksburg biometric ML is the country's most distinctive concentrated US federal criminal-justice ML operations and a feature most national AI/ML surveys understate for WV. FBI CJIS Biometric Services (the substantial FBI Next Generation Identification NGI system + the substantial FBI Biometric Center of Excellence + the substantial post-2014 IAFIS-to-NGI transition + the FBI facial recognition + fingerprint matching + palmprint + iris recognition + the substantial FBI Biometric Services partnerships with DHS + DoD + State Department + the substantial FBI CJIS Biometric Identity Services cleared contractor workforce) supports substantial cleared ML engineering work. Senior cleared FBI CJIS biometric ML engineers clear $135-215K + TS/SCI + poly premium. NETL Morgantown CCUS modeling + Marcellus shale prediction + the substantial DOE national lab AI/ML investment supports substantial federal energy ML. NIOSH Morgantown occupational health ML (the substantial NIOSH coal worker pneumoconiosis surveillance ML + the substantial NIOSH respirator certification ML + the substantial NIOSH Mining Program ML) supports substantial federal occupational health ML. WVU Medicine clinical AI (the only WV academic medical center + the substantial WVU radiology AI + opioid prescription ML + WVU Cancer Institute precision oncology ML + WVU Heart and Vascular Institute clinical decision support) supports substantial healthcare ML. The substantial WV Marcellus + Utica shale gas operations ML at Diversified Energy + EQT + Antero + Southwestern (WV is country's #4 US natural gas producer) supports substantial energy ML. WV progressive 2.36-5.12% top by 2026 + WV RTW since 2016 + WV property tax ~0.55% + no state estate tax + lower WV cost of living anchor the WV AI/ML proposition.

Sources & Methodology

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