TechnologyCA-StatsCanTech Hub

Machine Learning Engineer Salary in Vancouver

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 6 comparison cities

$97,022/yr

Typical range: $76,317 – $126,164

Very High Confidence Β· 88/100

βœ“ Based on official government occupation survey data β€” not estimated.

SalaryScope Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Machine Learning Engineers in Vancouver typically earn $76K–$126K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $97K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $146K or more.

Above Average

Based on Statistics Canada β€” Labour Force Survey (2026) official survey data.

Salary Distribution β€” Vancouver

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$64,373

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$76,317

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$97,022

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$126,164

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$146,230

Staff / principal / lead

-43%
vs US avg
+45%
demand growth
Low
AI risk
Data Confidence
88/100A
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 13, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
GrossCA$132K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’25%
Take-homeCA$98K
Federal + Ontario provincial income tax + CPP/EI.
Savings Potential
Take-homeCA$98K
Est. living costsβˆ’48%
Yearly savingsCA$51K
Estimate for a average-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
94/100
Exceptional
Job demand growth+45%
Automation riskLow

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SalaryScope Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $97K a good salary for Machine Learning Engineer in Vancouver?

Based on BLS data for 97,022 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $64KΒ·Median: $97KΒ·Top 10%: $146K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Estimated Β· 74% confidenceSource reliability: 24/40 (ILO-estimate)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $97K for Machine Learning Engineers in Vancouver

βœ“ Direct
Official CA-StatsCan survey
This salary is anchored to a direct government occupational wage survey β€” not an estimate.
-43%
Canada market level
Canada pays 43% below the global baseline β€” lower cost of living often offsets this.
+30%
Vancouver metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.
+11%
High demand for Machine Learning Engineers
45% projected job growth creates upward wage pressure.

Source: CA-StatsCan. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Machine Learning Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Vancouver

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$65,975$5,498$32
Junior22 yrs$81,498$6,792$39
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$91,847$7,654$44
Senior66 yrs$106,336$8,861$51
Staff1010 yrs$143,593$11,966$69
Principal1414 yrs$180,073$15,006$87
Distinguished1818 yrs$189,193$15,766$91

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Machine Learning Engineer

Estimated premium above the Vancouver median based on market demand

Python+6% β‰ˆ +$6K/yr
TensorFlow+10% β‰ˆ +$10K/yr
PyTorch+11% β‰ˆ +$11K/yr
MLOps+12% β‰ˆ +$12K/yr
Kubernetes+9% β‰ˆ +$9K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$47K/yr
Highest single skill
Python +6%
Python+6% Β· +$6K/yr
TensorFlow+10% Β· +$10K/yr
PyTorch+11% Β· +$11K/yr
MLOps+12% Β· +$12K/yr
Kubernetes+9% Β· +$9K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Machine Learning Engineer Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

A+94/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+45%/yr
AI Displacement Risk22% β€” Low
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+5.9%/yr
Exceptional: Explosive demand + low AI displacement β€” top career momentum of any field.
BLS Official 10-yr OutlookMuch faster than average
+40%
Growth 2022–2032
+21K
New jobs projected
$109K
In 2 yrs
$129K
In 5 yrs
$172K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Machine Learning Engineer

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$150K–$167K
per year
Base (61%)Bonus (10%)Equity (15%)Benefits (13%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$97,022
Annual Bonus
Typical: 8–25% of base
$16,009
Equity (annualised)
~25% of base β€” RSUs/options
$24,256
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$21,345
Total Comp (mid)
$158,632

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Machine Learning Engineers

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Equity / RSUs
Especially at tech firms
Learning Budget
$1,000–$3,000 / year
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Machine Learning Engineer Salaries by City

How Vancouver, Canada stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Vancouver, Canada (current)$97,022$126,164+-43%
London, UK$99,008$134,368+-41%
Toronto, Canada$98,724$128,377+-42%
Berlin, Germany$89,735$118,767+-47%
Sydney, Australia$103,806$136,656+-39%
Amsterdam, Netherlands$108,870$143,251+-36%
Singapore, Singapore$76,508$101,837+-55%

SalaryScope Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Machine Learning Engineer?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Master's in CS, ML, or Statistics Β· Ranked by income potential

Key tasks for this role
Deploy ML models to productionBuild feature pipelinesMonitor model performanceOptimise inference latency

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Machine Learning Engineer salary in Vancouver, Canada?

The median Machine Learning Engineer salary in Vancouver, Canada is $97K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $126K+ per year.

What is a good Machine Learning Engineer salary in Vancouver, Canada?

The 75th percentile ($126K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($97K) is above-average for this role in Vancouver, Canada.

How much does a Machine Learning Engineer earn per hour in Vancouver, Canada?

Based on the median annual salary of $97K, a Machine Learning Engineer in Vancouver, Canada earns approximately $47/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$61/hr.

Is Vancouver, Canada a good market for Machine Learning Engineers?

Vancouver, Canada pays 43% below the US national average for this role. Demand for Machine Learning Engineers is growing 45% annually, and AI automation risk is rated low for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Machine Learning Engineer salary in Vancouver, Canada?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($126K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the Vancouver, Canada figure calculated?

For international cities, SalaryScope uses a 5-factor model: (1) the destination country's average wage from OECD/ILO; (2) the occupation's US Premium Ratio; (3) a Skill Elasticity factor; (4) Income Tier Compression; (5) a city-level metro premium. Currency conversion uses ECB rates refreshed every 4 hours.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

Machine Learning Engineer Salary Trend (2019–2024)

BLS OES historical national medians

6-yr CAGR
+8.9%/yr
2019
$112K
2020
$119K
+6%
2021
$131K
+10%
2022
$146K
+12%
2023
$160K
+10%
2024
$172K
+7%
2019 median
$112K
2024 median
$172K

Source: BLS OEWS 2019–2024. City-level data uses national trend Γ— metro premium.

Inflation note: In 2019 dollars, today's median is ~$82K β€” 18% of nominal salary is inflation (2019–2024 CPI avg 3.4%/yr).

Education Premium β€” Machine Learning Engineer

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-28%
~$70K
Associate's Degree
-12%
~$85K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$97K
Master's Degree
+24%
~$120K
Doctoral (PhD)
+32%
~$128K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+42%
~$138K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
Vancouver benchmarks
$97K
Market median
$126K
P75 target
$146K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

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Machine Learning Engineer in Vancouver β€” Distribution
P10
$64K
P25
$76K
P50
$97K
P75
$126K
P90
$146K
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