Build and deploy machine learning models and AI systems at production scale. Median salary in Milwaukee: $161K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Machine Learning Engineers in Milwaukee earn approximately 4% lower than the US national median for this role — a $7,000 discount on annual base salary. Milwaukee's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 90 (US avg = 100).
Adjusted for Milwaukee's cost-of-living index (90), the median Machine Learning Engineer salary buys the equivalent of $178,889 in a US-average-cost city. That's $10,889 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
This role's national salaries are growing at 8.4% year-over-year, well above the BLS all-occupations average of ~3.5%. If that pace holds, the Milwaukee median reaches $240,975 in five years.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $213K by 2030.
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The median Machine Learning Engineer salary in Milwaukee, WI is $161,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Milwaukee–WI metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Machine Learning Engineers in Milwaukee with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $120,000 and $161,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $161,000 to $206,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $206,000 to $264,000 or more.
Milwaukee has a cost of living index of 90 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 10% further in Milwaukee than the national average. Wisconsin has a 5.3% state income tax rate.
Master's or PhD in CS, Mathematics, or related. This role is 70% remote-eligible nationally, which can significantly expand the job market for Milwaukee-based professionals.