Global AI Job Markets
6 countries compared — salary, cost of living, visa difficulty and PR paths.
Pick by goal
english only
US, UK, Canada, Singapore
maximize salary
US (especially Bay Area, Seattle)
maximize savings
Seattle (high salary, no state tax) or Singapore (low tax)
easiest path to pr
Canada (12-18 months) or Germany (21-33 months)
best quality of life
Germany, Canada, Seattle
fastest career growth
US (Bay Area for startups)
United States
150000+
AI jobs
$120k-$180k
Avg salary
High (lottery system)
Visa
SF Bay AreaSeattleNYCBostonAustin
San Francisco Bay Area, California
120k-150k
entry
180k-280k
mid
300k-600k+
senior
- +Highest concentration of AI companies
- +Best networking opportunities
- +Cutting-edge projects
- –Extremely high cost of living
- –Competitive job market
- –H-1B visa lottery
Seattle, Washington
110k-140k
entry
160k-250k
mid
280k-500k+
senior
- +No state income tax
- +Lower COL than SF
- +Amazon/Microsoft headquarters
- –Rainy weather 9 months/year
- –Fewer AI startups than SF
New York City, New York
120k-150k
entry
170k-270k
mid
300k-550k+
senior
Want net pay by city? Use the take-home calculator →