Discover the average TensorFlow salary and how having knowledge and experience in this open-source library can enhance your salary in machine learning jobs. Consider other factors that affect your salary, including location, education, and experience.
TensorFlow is an open-source library supporting developers, engineers, and data scientists to make machine learning (ML) models, applications, and data flow graphs. Having proficiency in TensorFlow can help boost your salary in a range of roles as well as make you stand out from other candidates in your field.
Learn more about the impacts of learning TensorFlow on your salary and how it might vary according to factors like your location, industry, and who employs you.
TensorFlow is an open-source machine learning library, built to solve general and mathematical artificial intelligence (AI) problems. It’s a tool for incorporating machine learning into your products and applications. Functions range from object recognition and text comprehension to creating innovative art and music, regardless of your platform or programming language.
TensorFlow is accessible to beginners and experts alike. Having expert skills in TensorFlow can support your career development in many areas, including health care and finance. As your expertise grows, so does your salary potential.
TensorFlow is a popular tool in a range of industries and roles relating to machine learning, and increasing your skills in this area can boost your salary. According to PayScale, being proficient in TensorFlow means you can command an average annual salary of $104,000 [1]. ZipRecruiter reports that professionals with TensorFlow expertise can earn an average yearly income of $122,738. This underscores the higher compensation for those working with TensorFlow [2]. However, the exact pay scale you receive will vary depending on a number of additional factors.
Learning how to use TensorFlow and honing your knowledge in this field, can have a positive impact on your salary. However, your actual take-home pay is conditional on several factors, including your job title, the industry you work in, your education and experience, and your geographical location.
TensorFlow is widely used to implement neural networks, which are key to advanced AI applications such as natural language processing, image recognition, and autonomous systems. While knowing how to apply it can enhance your earning potential, TensorFlow complements your overall skill set rather than solely determining your salary.
Professionals in several positions use TensorFlow, and their salaries vary. The table below shows the average annual salary for various positions that utilize TensorFlow as part of their job.
Data scientist: $113,583
Software developer: $95,210
Machine learning engineer: $119,147
Machine learning developer: $112,673
Software tester: $72,508
Software engineer: $111,770
AI software engineer: $130,198
AI developer: $108,181
* All salary information is sourced from Glassdoor in April 2025.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), your level of education directly correlates with how much you earn [3]. With that in mind, in order to secure a high-paying job using TensorFlow, a degree is a good place to start. According to Zippia, data scientists working with TensorFlow have a solid educational grounding, with 51 percent holding a bachelor’s degree and 34 percent with a master’s degree [4]. This can have a positive repercussion on salary, too, with Zippia citing that data scientists with a bachelor’s degree earn an average annual salary of $101,455, whereas those possessing a master’s degree can earn $109,454 [4].
To further your education to increase your salary, you might consider working towards a TensorFlow certification or a Professional Certificate, such as the DeepLearning.AI TensorFlow Developer Professional Certificate.
Proficiency in TensorFlow can help you secure a job in various fields, and the skills you develop through experience can lead to a salary of approximately $104,000 [1].
Using the example of a machine learning engineer in a TensorFlow-based role, the table below demonstrates how your machine learning salary can increase with your years of experience [5].
0-1 year: $90,852
1-3 years: $102,834
4-6 years: $115,923
7-9 years: $124,094
10-14 years: $137,970
15+ years: $150,674
Professionals from a range of disciplines use TensorFlow as part of their role, so you’ll find a number of companies seeking this skill, all covering different industries and paying varying salaries.
Examples of companies that use TensorFlow include:
Walmart
Intel
Qualcomm
AMD
Capital One
TikTok
Looking at software developers who use TensorFlow as part of their role, you'll find that their salaries differ across industries [6]:
Software publishing | $149,990 |
---|---|
Manufacturing | $134,910 |
Finance and insurance | $132,880 |
Management and enterprise | $133,650 |
Computer system design | $129,890 |
Where you live and work can have an effect on your TensorFlow salary. For instance, cities often pay more than rural areas to account for a higher cost of living. Some states also have higher salary rates than others. Taking the example of data scientists, given that TensorFlow is common in this position, the table below depicts the states that pay the highest wages in this field [7].
Washington | $162,730 |
---|---|
California | $155,450 |
Washington DC | $148,170 |
Massachusetts | $139,670 |
Maryland | $135,370 |
According to the BLS, certain metropolitan areas pay higher salaries than others. The top five areas are in the table below [7].
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $225,590 |
---|---|
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $164,690 |
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $163,640 |
Idaho Falls, ID | $159,920 |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $150,200 |
TensorFlow is a deep learning framework that professionals use in a range of positions, such as data scientist, software developer, machine learning engineer, and AI engineer. Machine learning and deep learning skills are in high demand, so learning TensorFlow is beneficial if you work in these fields.
AI and machine learning skills are widely sought after, with this industry seeing rapid growth and a range of new opportunities. Demand for other jobs that use TensorFlow is also rising. According to the BLS, the job outlook for data scientists is set to grow by a steady 36 percent until 2033 [8], while software developers have a job outlook of 17 percent [6], both of which are much higher than average.
TensorFlow is a deep learning framework popular in a range of job roles, including software development, machine learning, and data science. If you’d like to start learning TensorFlow, check out the DeepLearning.AI TensorFlow Developer Professional Certificate, available on Coursera. Subscribe to Coursera Plus, and build job-ready skills from leading global organizations and universities.
Pay Scale. “Salary for Skill: TensorFlow Software Library, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Skill=TensorFlow_Software_Library/Salary.” Accessed February 2, 2025.
Zip Recruiter. “Salary. TensorFlow January 2025. United States, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Tensorflow-Salary. Accessed February 2, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Education pays, 2023: Earnings and unemployment rates by educational attainment,https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2024/data-on-display/education-pays.htm.” Accessed February 2, 2025.
Zippia. “Data Scientist Education Requirements, https://www.zippia.com/data-scientist-jobs/education/.” Accessed February 2, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Machine Learning Engineer Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/united-states-machine-learning-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IN1_KO14,39.htm.” Accessed February 2, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm#tab-5.” Accessed February 2, 2025.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages. Data Scientists, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes152051.htm#st.” Accessed February 2, 2025.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data Scientists, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/math/data-scientists.htm.” Accessed February 2, 2025.
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