A recent report from J. Thelander Consulting has found that tech companies are paying up to $200,000 for data scientists with machine learning skills, while lower-level software engineers and analysts are also receiving significant bonuses.
The consulting firm analyzed compensation data across 153 companies and found that data scientists with AI expertise tend to receive higher premiums than their software engineering counterparts. However, the report also notes a rise in bonuses for lower-level software engineers and analysts.
This trend is attributed to smaller firms competing against Big Tech giants, such as Meta, which recently offered $100 million signing bonuses to poach top talent. The high recruitment incentives are being driven by a “talent war” between tech companies, with smaller firms trying to stand out in the market.
About half of the surveyed companies paying premiums for AI-skilled employees had no revenue or profit last year. Despite this, the trend is expected to continue as larger companies also jump into the fray.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-companies-recruit-pay-bonuses-higher-salaries-ai-experience-report-2025-7