Project Manager vs Machine Learning Engineer Salary
National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Project Managers earn a national median of $98,580/year vs Machine Learning Engineers at $158,000/year. Machine Learning Engineers earn 60% more nationally. The gap is $59,420 per year — or $4,952 per month.
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Project Manager
$98,580
national median/year
$8,215/mo • $47/hr
VS
Machine Learning Engineer
$158,000
national median/year
$13,167/mo • $76/hr
Annual salary gap
$59,420
Machine Learning Engineers earn 60% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $673,543.
Best states for Machine Learning Engineers
vs Project Managers
California+$89,680
Washington+$79,680
Virginia+$71,680
New York+$67,680
Colorado+$65,680
Best states for Project Managers
vs Machine Learning Engineers
Mississippi+$-33,680
North Dakota+$-35,680
West Virginia+$-35,680
Wyoming+$-35,680
Alaska+$-39,680
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Machine Learning Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Project Managers is $98,580 versus $158,000 for Machine Learning Engineers — a difference of $59,420 per year or $4,952 per month.
The national median salary gap between Project Managers and Machine Learning Engineers is $59,420 per year. Machine Learning Engineers earn 60% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $673,543.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Project Managers the highest median salary at $122,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Machine Learning Engineers the highest median salary at $212,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Machine Learning Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Project Management Specialists and Computer and Information Research Scientists both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Project Managers earn approximately $47 per hour nationally and Machine Learning Engineers earn approximately $76 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
