Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Principal Machine Learning Engineer Salary in Virginia

$73.4K

$146.2K

$210.7K

$145,957

/year

$70.17

/hour

Principal Machine Learning Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$147,220

Virginia

Virginia

$145,957

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    How much does a Principal Machine Learning Engineer make in Virginia?

    As of Aug 17, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal Machine Learning Engineer in Virginia is $145,957 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $70.17 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,806/week or $12,163/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $210,678 and as low as $73,365, the majority of Principal Machine Learning Engineer salaries currently range between $117,500 (25th percentile) to $171,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $194,318 annually in Virginia. The average pay range for a Principal Machine Learning Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 54000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    Virginia ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Principal Machine Learning Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Principal Machine Learning Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Principal Machine Learning Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Principal Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in Virginia

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Principal Machine Learning Engineer job is above the average in Virginia in Virginia. Topping the list is Arlington, , with Alexandria, and Reston, close behind in the second and third positions. Reston, beats the average in Virginia by $7,486 (5.1%), and Arlington, furthers that trend with another $23,413 (16.0%) above the $145,957 average.

    With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for Virginia, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Principal Machine Learning Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 14% between Arlington, and Richmond, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Principal Machine Learning Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Arlington

    $169,370

    $81.43

    Alexandria

    $157,571

    $75.76

    Reston

    $153,443

    $73.77

    Purcellville

    $152,500

    $73.32

    Chantilly

    $152,154

    $73.15

    Herndon

    $151,262

    $72.72

    Fairfax

    $150,705

    $72.45

    Ashburn

    $150,548

    $72.38

    McLean

    $148,819

    $71.55

    Richmond

    $146,024

    $70.20

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Principal Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in Virginia

    Analyzing similar jobs related to the Principal Machine Learning Engineer job category in Virginia, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $145957 state average for Principal Machine Learning Engineer jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Back End Engineer

    $146,395

    $70.38

    Sql Data Engineer

    $128,604

    $61.83

    Python Machine Learning

    $120,887

    $58.12

    Plant Breeder

    $99,017

    $47.60

    Machine Learning Finance

    $91,837

    $44.15

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Principal Machine Learning Engineer salary in Virginia as of August 2026. Shows a bar chart with salary percentiles ranging from $117,500 to $194,318 annually, with the Virginia average at $145,957 per year or $70.17 per hour. Includes a list of the top 10 highest paying cities in Virginia for Principal Machine Learning Engineer jobs, with Arlington leading at $169,370 annually.