How much does Shield AI pay?
As of Oct 11, 2026, 469 of the 593 open jobs Shield AI has on Alion state a salary. The median is $229k a year, and the middle half pays $170k to $281k. The best-paid open role is Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5402) at $421k. Shield AI pays about 16% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
Shield AI pay against the market
+16% Shield AI pays about 16% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
Each of 543 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
Shield AI pay by level
| Level | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff+ | 170 | $250k | $220k – $290k |
| Senior | 142 | $200k | $170k – $240k |
| Lead | 40 | $300k | $200k – $330k |
| Middle | 37 | $150k | $130k – $162k |
| Junior | 23 | $119k | $105k – $140k |
| Head+ | 22 | $318k | $300k – $340k |
| Intern | 4 | $130k | $108k – $146k |
Shield AI pay by role
| Role | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering | 158 | $220k | $170k – $270k |
| Backend | 64 | $245k | $229k – $294k |
| Hardware | 25 | $210k | $140k – $282k |
| Operations | 24 | $170k | $150k – $240k |
| Field & Service | 24 | $108k | $100k – $168k |
| Product | 18 | $276k | $230k – $300k |
| DevOps | 16 | $220k | $119k – $274k |
| Robotics | 15 | $250k | $200k – $300k |
| Management | 14 | $240k | $210k – $250k |
| Finance | 14 | $190k | $160k – $240k |
| Leadership | 9 | $300k | $240k – $320k |
| QA | 9 | $170k | $170k – $200k |
Shield AI pay by city
| Location | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | 185 | $210k | $170k – $260k |
| San Diego | 150 | $240k | $200k – $300k |
| Seattle | 149 | $230k | $180k – $290k |
| Washington | 127 | $240k | $180k – $293k |
| San Mateo | 57 | $245k | $210k – $300k |
| Boston | 48 | $245k | $211k – $300k |
| Wichita | 8 | $110k | $96k – $160k |
| Los Angeles | 3 | $250k | $250k |
| Orlando | 3 | $190k | $119k – $190k |
Shield AI pay by work format
| Work format | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| In office | 419 | $230k | $170k – $280k |
| Hybrid | 24 | $210k | $180k – $318k |
| Remote | 13 | $250k | $180k – $270k |
How pay at Shield AI is spread
456 of 581 vacancies state a salary (78%). The range below is built from those 456 stated figures only, never from an estimate.
Best-paid open roles at Shield AI
| Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5402)Staff+ | $421k |
| Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomy Capabilities (R4587)Staff+ | $421k |
| Head of Product Design (R5776)Head+ | $420k |
| Senior Staff Engineer, ML Ops (R4941)Staff+ | $420k |
| Simulation Specialist, AMER (R6171)Senior | $410k |
| Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems (R5620)Lead | $400k |
| Director, Avionics Mechanical EngineeringHead+ | $398k |
| Senior Principal Engineer, GNC & State Estimation (R6233)Lead | $390k |
| Head of Aircraft Quality (R6146)Head+ | $390k |
| Sr Director Engineering, V-BATHead+ | $380k |
Questions about pay at Shield AI
What is the average salary at Shield AI?
The median salary stated in Shield AI job postings is $229k a year, across 456 open jobs with pay; the middle half pays $170k to $281k.
How much does Shield AI pay for Industrial Engineering roles?
Industrial Engineering roles at Shield AI state a median of $220k a year (158 postings with pay, middle half $170k – $270k).
How much does Shield AI pay for Backend roles?
Backend roles at Shield AI state a median of $245k a year (64 postings with pay, middle half $229k – $294k).
How much does Shield AI pay for Hardware roles?
Hardware roles at Shield AI state a median of $210k a year (25 postings with pay, middle half $140k – $282k).
How much does Shield AI pay in Dallas?
Jobs at Shield AI in Dallas state a median of $210k a year (185 postings with pay).
What is the highest-paying open job at Shield AI?
Right now it is Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5402) at Shield AI, with a stated $421k a year.
Does Shield AI pay above the market?
Shield AI pays about 16% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries. Each of 543 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
Does Shield AI publish salaries in its job postings?
79% of the open jobs Shield AI has on Alion state a salary: 469 of 593.
How to cite this page
Only pay an employer wrote in its own job advert is used, converted to US dollars a year; estimates are never mixed in. The figures are rebuilt twice a day from the vacancies open now.
These figures are published under a free licence. You may reuse them, including commercially, as long as you credit Alion and link back to this page.
Shield AI salaries: median $229k across 456 job postings with pay. Alion, Oct 11, 2026, https://alion.io/company/shield-ai/salaries