AI Research Scientists Command Median New-Hire Equity Above $4M as AI Talent Market Splits Into Distinct Job Families

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 24, 2026

A new report from Pave and Nua Group reveals that AI Research Scientists at senior levels command median new-hire equity grants of $4.09M–$4.72M, far outpacing ML and AI Engineering peers, while base salaries remain relatively compressed across all three job families. AI Engineering is the fastest-growing job family, expanding roughly 10x in headcount share from Q4 2023 to Q2 2026, with 91% of large companies (3,000+ employees) now carrying AI/ML staff versus just 12% of small firms. AI/ML turnover hit 21.8% over the past 12 months — five points above software engineering — and recent hires are commanding base salary premiums of up to 10% over incumbents. The report, drawing on real-time compensation data from 9,000+ companies, urges organizations to identify their 'AI lane' before building pay structures for these increasingly distinct roles.