How to negotiate an AI salary: what posted pay bands tell you

Start with the posted band if there is one. It is usually base salary only, so negotiate level, equity and sign-on as well as base. If there is no band, the norm for AI jobs in Europe, ask for the range before the interview and build your own reference.

That is how to negotiate salary in tech for an AI job, but your starting information depends on where the job is. On Tokn, as of 27 October 2026, we could read a salary on 1,414 of 1,595 active AI jobs in North America (88.7%) and on 98 of 821 in Europe (11.9%). OpenAI published a band on 360 of its 365 North American postings and on 3 of its 51 European ones.

In short

• A posted band is usually base salary. Equity, bonus and sign-on sit outside it, and often have more room.
• The median North American AI band on Tokn has a top 1.33 times its bottom, a spread of about $80,000. Very wide bands usually cover several levels or locations.
• As of late September 2026, the EU directive that gives candidates a right to the range was fully transposed in 5 of 27 countries, not including France or Germany.

Where AI employers publish pay, and where they don't

In North America a posted range is the rule; in Europe it is the exception, even at the same companies. Share of active AI jobs where Tokn could read a salary, as of 27 October 2026:

Germany's figure comes from three companies, and 29 of the 48 UK salaries are Anthropic's. Without Anthropic, Tokn reads a salary on about 8% of European AI jobs. The same company in two regions shows why:

Disclosure follows the law where the job is, not the company's culture. Wayve and Legora publish US bands and no European ones. California, New York, Washington, Colorado and a growing list of other states require a range in job ads. In Canada, British Columbia has required the pay or its range in public postings since November 2023. Ontario's rules, in force since 1 January 2026 for employers with 25 or more employees, cap the range at $50,000 wide but don't apply above $200,000 a year, so many senior Toronto AI roles are exempt. Keep Canadian dollar bands separate from US ones: some Canadian postings carry a US band from a multi-location ad.

How to read a posted salary band

Read a band for its width, what it covers and where hires usually land.

How wide AI bands are

The median North American AI band on Tokn runs to 1.33 times its bottom, a median spread of $80,000 (1,385 yearly USD bands as of 27 October 2026; OpenAI and Anthropic account for 47% of them). Junior bands are narrowest (median spread $38,000, n=59), research bands widest:

Why some bands run from $350,000 to $850,000

A very wide band usually covers several levels or locations. Anthropic advertised research engineer and scientist roles in San Francisco at $350,000–$850,000 in October 2026; Figma advertised a machine learning engineer band of $153,000–$376,000 covering San Francisco, New York and the rest of the US. A narrow band is usually one level in one pay zone: Wayve's Senior ML Engineer posting in Sunnyvale gave $311,850–$350,625.

A 2× band doesn't mean you can get the top. It means the level is decided at offer stage, so the interview loop is part of the negotiation. Ask which level the band covers and which pay zone you're in (Databricks publishes ranges per zone). The widest bands are in AI research jobs in the US.

Where offers usually land

A band is a guide, not a promise. A September 2024 Glassdoor analysis found pay fell inside the posted range about two thirds of the time, below it in 22% of cases and above it in 11%.

Some employers say more. Databricks writes that it "anticipates utilizing the full width of the range"; Elastic gives "the typical starting salary range for new hires". If the posting doesn't say, ask where most new hires at this level start, then argue for the upper half with evidence: scope you have held, a skill the ad names, a competing process.

Base, equity, bonus: what the band covers

Usually base only. California's required pay scale is a salary or hourly wage range, and bonuses and benefits are not part of it, according to the Labor Commissioner's FAQ as summarised by Ogletree. Washington and Colorado also ask for a general description of benefits and other compensation, which is why US postings often mention equity and bonus next to the range.

On 27 October 2026, Tokn pulled the full text of 8,953 postings (all roles) from the public Greenhouse, Ashby and Lever boards of 46 companies and counted what they mention:

Snowflake's wording is typical: "The estimated base salary range for this role is $190,000 - $238,000. Additionally, this role is eligible to participate in Snowflake's bonus and equity plan." Sales roles differ: Anthropic states that its sales ranges are on-target earnings (OTE), commission included. Don't compare a sales band with a base-only one.

How to negotiate when there's no band (most of Europe)

Ask for the range before you invest in interviews, then anchor on a number you have researched yourself.

If a recruiter asks your current salary, you can decline: "I'd rather focus on the range for this role. For similar positions I'm looking at X to Y."

To build your reference, start with the same company's US band, but don't convert it as if pay were equal. Anthropic advertised an Applied AI Engineer role in London at £225,000–£255,000 and a comparable one in San Francisco at $280,000–$320,000: bands are set per location.

Then use the European postings that do publish. In October 2026 these included Anthropic in London, Paris and Dublin, Black Forest Labs in Freiburg (€130,000–€340,000 for Member of Technical Staff roles), n8n (€89,700 up to €201,600), Dust in Paris (€40,000 to €160,000) and Granola in London (£100,000–£150,000). For role-by-role figures, see AI salaries in Europe by role and machine learning engineer salaries in London, Paris and Berlin.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive: what applies now

It gives candidates a right to the pay range before the interview and bans pay-history questions, but only once a country transposes it, and most large markets hadn't by late September 2026.

Directive (EU) 2023/970 says:

• Article 5(1): applicants have a right to the initial pay or its range, "such as in a published job vacancy notice, prior to the job interview or otherwise". It doesn't strictly require the range in the ad.
• Article 5(2): employers "shall not ask applicants about their pay history".
• Article 3: "pay" includes variable components, not only base salary.

The deadline was 7 June 2026. Status as of late September 2026, according to Lockton's tracker:

France's government presented a bill on 10 September 2026 requiring the pay or range in the ad or before the interview and banning questions about past pay. Germany's government said in July 2026 it had prepared a draft, with no date. Until transposition, workers can't bring claims based on the directive itself, as Littler notes. So in Paris or Berlin today you have no new right yet, but asking for the range is a normal request that is harder to refuse.

Equity at AI startups: what to ask

Equity often has more room than base. Postings Tokn read name RSUs (Celonis, Datadog), stock options (ClickHouse, Writer), BSPCE (Alice & Bob, Photoroom) and virtual options, or VSOP (Helsing). OpenAI, Anthropic, Harvey, Perplexity and Legora just say "equity". Before you counter, ask for:

• the number of shares or units, and the percentage of fully diluted shares or the latest valuation
• the strike price, for options
• the vesting schedule and cliff, and refresh grants
• the exercise window if you leave, and how employees can sell

Tax treatment differs by country and instrument: check it with an adviser.

How to negotiate a tech salary offer: what to say

Counter in writing, one number per component, with a reason for each. Phrasing that works:

• Asking for the range: "Could you share the range for this role and the level it covers?"
• Answering expectations against a posted band: "Given my experience with X and Y, I'd expect the upper half of the range."
• When base is capped: "If base is fixed, is there room on equity or a sign-on bonus?"
• With a competing offer: "I have an offer at level X with total compensation of Y. This role is my first choice. Can you get closer?"

Use a competing offer only if it is real. Compare offers on the same basis (base, bonus target, equity per year, sign-on) and share the level and total, not just base: one level up moves every component.

Does it work? In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of US workers, only 32% of men and 28% of women asked for more at their last hire, and about two thirds of those who asked got more than the first offer. The Levels.fyi 2025 End of Year Pay Report gives a median gain of about 21% in total compensation for engineers who used its paid negotiation service, a self-selected group rather than a typical outcome.

Find AI jobs that publish pay

Browse AI jobs in North America, where most postings carry one, or AI jobs in Europe, where you will often need to ask. Preparing for the loop first? See machine learning interview questions. Then set a job alert for new roles.

FAQ

Can I ask for the top of a posted salary range?

Yes, with reasons. The top of a band usually goes to candidates close to the next level. If that's you, argue for the level, not just the number.

Does a posted pay range include equity and bonus?

Usually not. Many postings say "base salary" and list equity and bonus separately. Sales roles are the exception: their bands are often on-target earnings, commission included.

Is it legal for a recruiter to ask my current salary?

Not in California, which bans seeking salary history. In the EU, Article 5(2) of the directive bans it once a country transposes it, and France's bill would too. Elsewhere you can still decline and talk about the role's range.

Does the EU Pay Transparency Directive apply in my country yet?

As of late September 2026, according to Lockton's tracker, only Slovakia, Italy, Lithuania, Malta and Greece had fully transposed it. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Sweden had not.