AIエンジニアは年収1000万円以上稼げる?年収1000万円以上を目指す方法も解説Can AI engineers earn more than 10 million yen a year? Also explains how to aim for more than 10 million yen per year.
In recent years, AI technology has made spectacular progress, and its influence is increasing in many areas of society. In particular, with the emergence of generative AI such as ChatGPT and the increasing use of AI in companies, the job title of “AI engineer” is attracting more and more attention.
In this article, we will discuss the average annual salary of AI engineers and specific ways to earn more than 10 million yen, providing useful information for those considering a career change to AI engineering.
AI engineers are professionals who specialize in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. AI engineers are also called machine learning engineers. More broadly, AI engineers may also include data scientists who analyze large amounts of data.
In recent years, AI has become increasingly familiar in our daily lives. Examples include speech recognition that converts voice into text, cars that drive automatically, and systems that automatically detect cancer. All of these systems have one thing in common: AI is making decisions based on data.
The role of an AI engineer is to come up with the best procedures and algorithms to enable AI to make decisions in these systems, and to “train” AI to do so using existing data.
Main Duties of an AI Engineer
The duties of an AI engineer vary from company to company and project to project, but they are generally divided into three categories: AI development, learning, and analysis. First, in AI development, deep learning is the mainstream, and models are built using libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Keras.
The main task of an AI engineer is to build AI models using these tools. Next, the constructed AI model is fed with a large amount of data to train it. This process includes collecting and creating data, as well as cleansing it to remove unnecessary data, a very important task because AI improves its accuracy by learning data.
Finally, the data is analyzed using the learned AI models to make situational decisions. This analysis work involves many different types of data, including audio, images, video, text, traffic data, and sensor data. Data analysis is often done in collaboration with data scientists and data analysts.
Thus, unlike general software development, AI engineers are deeply involved in the AI learning process.
AIエンジニアは年収1,000万円以上も目指せる?Can AI engineers aim for more than 10 million yen per year?
It is quite possible for an AI engineer to earn more than 10 million yen a year. AI technology is becoming increasingly important in Japan, and salaries are rising along with its demand.
AI technology has brought innovation to many industries, and AI engineers with expertise in this area are extremely valuable. As a result, they can expect to earn particularly high salaries compared to other engineering positions, and it is not uncommon for annual salaries to exceed 10 million yen.
Furthermore, demand for AI engineers is rapidly increasing overseas as well. Especially in IT industry centers such as Silicon Valley, high annual salaries are commonly offered to secure highly skilled AI engineers.
In fact, according to the U.S. job information site Glassdoor, the average annual salary for AI engineers ranges from $156,000 to $264,000. This translates to approximately 25.1 to 42.5 million Japanese yen (calculated based on the exchange rate as of July 5, 2024).
AIエンジニアの平均年収は?What is the average annual salary of an AI engineer?
According to the 2023 Basic Survey on Wage Structure published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the average annual salary of AI engineers (other information processing and communications engineers excluding software development) is approximately 5,583,000 yen. This figure is approximately 500,000 yen higher than the average annual salary in Japan, which is 5,069,000 yen. ai engineers are highly specialized, and the rapid spread of ai technology has led to an increase in demand, resulting in such a high annual salary.
However, annual salaries for AI engineers vary widely by region, company size, and age. For example, according to a survey by Jobbox, the average annual salary of AI engineers is 5.97 million yen, which is about 400,000 yen higher than the data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Below we will look at five factors that affect the annual salary of AI engineers.
Average annual salary of AI engineers by gender
The average annual salary of AI engineers by gender is approximately 5.83 million yen for men and 4.51 million yen for women, with men earning approximately 1.3 million yen more than women.
This difference is a general trend, not limited to AI engineers. The reason for this is that men tend to work longer and hold a higher percentage of managerial and leadership positions.
On the other hand, women's working styles may be restricted or their careers may be interrupted due to childcare or nursing care, which leads to the gender gap in annual income.
From the 20s to 30s, annual income rises steadily as skills and experience improve. In particular, after one's late 30s, one will be assigned to positions of increasing responsibility, and one's income will be correspondingly higher. However, after reaching a peak in their 50s, annual income tends to gradually decline.
Average annual salary of AI engineers by region
Comparing AI engineers' annual salaries by region, the region with the highest average annual salary is the Chubu and Hokuriku regions, with Yamanashi Prefecture standing out among them at approximately 8.97 million yen. On the other hand, the region with the lowest salary level is the Chugoku/Shikoku region, with the lowest salary level of approximately 4.11 million yen in Hiroshima Prefecture. The difference in annual salary between Yamanashi and Hiroshima Prefectures amounts to more than 4.8 million yen.
Average annual salary of AI engineers by company size
The average annual salary of AI engineers varies depending on the size of the company as follows. In small companies with 10 to 99 employees, the average annual salary is approximately 4.81 million yen. In medium-sized companies with 100 to 999 employees, the average annual salary rises to approximately 5.47 million yen. For large companies with 1,000 or more employees, the average annual salary is approximately 5.95 million yen, and the annual salary tends to increase with the size of the company.
This trend can be attributed to the fact that positions in large companies require more advanced projects and expertise, and therefore higher salaries. Another reason is that large companies offer a full range of benefits, and in addition to basic salary, they also provide a variety of allowances and bonuses.
Therefore, the size of the company you apply to is also an important factor when aiming for a high income as an AI engineer.
Average annual salary of AI engineers by place of employment
The annual salary of AI engineers varies greatly depending on where they work. It is not uncommon for annual salaries to exceed 10 million yen, especially for those who belong to major companies or research institutes. For example, the annual salary of a machine learning engineer at Recruit Co., Ltd. ranges from 5.3 to 13.8 million yen, and that of an AI engineer at DeNA Co.
AI engineers working for foreign-capital companies also tend to earn high annual salaries. In foreign-capitalized companies, the annual salary is often higher because they work closely with overseas markets and set annual salaries according to skills.
On the other hand, venture companies may offer lower annual salaries than major companies, sometimes less than 10 million yen. However, venture companies with innovative technology can offer compensation that exceeds that of large companies. For example, annual salaries for AI service development engineers at IT venture ExaWizards Inc. range from 8 to 13 million yen.
Although annual salaries in Japan tend to be lower than those overseas, there are still some companies that offer annual salaries of 10 million yen or more. Here we introduce three full-time jobs with annual incomes of 10 million yen or more that are open to the public by the recruitment agent “United World Inc.
AI Engineer jobs at AI development companies
Essential Requirements: Experience with basic algorithms and frameworks in machine learning, software development experience, 2-3+ years of coding experience, Japanese or English language skills. Welcomed requirements: Experience in research and development in the field of machine learning, in-depth knowledge of AI, machine learning and related fields, PM experience, PL experience, ability to read and understand English papers, etc. Compensation: 8-12 million yen per year
Requirements: Japanese language skills (advanced), knowledge and experience with AI and firmware, experience implementing AI in hardware, experience developing edge AI. Compensation: 7-12 million yen per year
Essential Requirements: Business level English or above, Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, proven experience as a full stack developer with proficiency in Python/PHP/JavaScript (approx. 5+ years). Preferred requirements: Master's degree in a related field, certification in AWS, project management, or related field, experience with containerization technologies, experience with agile development methodologies, etc. Benefits: 6-10 million yen per year
Find your ideal workplace with United World. We are confident that you will find a position that will help you achieve an annual salary of 10 million yen or more among our wide variety of job postings. For more information, please click below.
What are the characteristics of high-caliber AI engineers who earn more than 10 million yen per year? Here we will explain three characteristics of AI engineers who can earn more than 10 million yen per year.
Abundant skills and achievements as an AI engineer
One of the characteristics of AI engineers who earn more than 10 million yen a year is that they have abundant skills and achievements.
There are five main skills required of AI engineers
Programming skills in AI development languages (Python, C, C++, etc.)
Mathematical knowledge of statistics and analysis
Database operation skills
Data analysis skills using AI
Knowledge of frameworks and libraries used in AI development
In addition to having a high level of these skills, it is also important to have a wide range of technologies that can be addressed. AI engineers with these skills tend to earn higher annual salaries.
Furthermore, since AI engineers are technical professionals, their performance on past projects is also a major factor in their evaluation. The types of projects in which they have been involved and the results they have achieved are proof of their abilities as AI engineers. Therefore, AI engineers who have experience leading large projects or solving complex problems are highly valued and are more likely to earn higher annual salaries.
Please refer to the following article for more information on the skills AI engineers should acquire.
Having excellent communication and management skills is another important characteristic. since AI development is done by a team, it is essential for engineers to share information with each other as well as with non-technical members. Therefore, personnel who can communicate smoothly with team members are highly valued.
Furthermore, management skills for project management are also important, as the IT industry lacks personnel with both technical knowledge and management skills, and this is also true in the AI field. People who can manage project progress, optimize resources, and manage risk are extremely valuable to companies and will be highly compensated.
High level of English proficiency
AI engineers earning more than 10 million yen a year are often required to have a high level of English proficiency. Therefore, English proficiency is essential in order to quickly adopt new information and constantly update one's skills and knowledge.
AI engineers who are proficient in English will be able to actively learn the latest technologies, which will broaden the range of projects they can handle and make them more highly regarded by companies. In fact, many companies list English proficiency as a prerequisite for AI engineer jobs.
AIエンジニアとして年収1,000万円以上を目指す方法How to achieve an annual income of 10 million yen or more as an AI engineer
To achieve an annual income of 10 million yen or more as an AI engineer, you need to review your career path and working style. Here are four ways to achieve this: promotion to a management position, becoming independent as a freelancer, changing jobs to a high-income company, and taking on the challenge of working for an overseas company.
Taking on a management position
One of the ways to achieve an annual salary of 10 million yen or more as an AI engineer is to advance your career to a management position. Management positions such as project leader (PL), project manager (PM), leader, and director will give you more responsibility, more discretion, and higher earning potential.
Management positions often pay higher salaries than general AI engineer positions, so you can expect to earn more than 10 million yen per year.
However, promotions and advancement in Japanese companies often take time, and there are company-specific restrictions on annual salary increases. Therefore, it is not always possible to earn the annual salary you desire. When aiming for career advancement to a managerial position within a company, it is important to consider a stable career path with a long-term perspective.
Going Independent as a Freelancer
Going independent as a freelancer is one attractive option. As a company employee, your salary is fixed and raises take time. However, as a freelancer, you can set the unit price of projects based on your skills and experience, which can lead to a higher income than a company employee.
In particular, depending on your skills, experience, and negotiation skills, it is not a dream to continuously receive high unit price projects and aim for an annual income of 10 million yen or more.
Although income varies, if you have sales skills and a good network of contacts, you have a good chance of succeeding as a freelancer. Another major advantage of freelancing is that you can choose projects that you are good at or interested in, and you can work with higher motivation.
Change jobs to a company that offers high income.
Changing jobs to a company with a higher annual salary is an effective way to achieve an annual salary of 10 million yen or more as an AI engineer. In general, large companies have higher salary levels because they have sufficient budgets for research and development and personnel expenses.
In particular, companies that have AI technology as their core business or are actively using it often offer higher annual salaries to attract talented AI engineers. Therefore, check the company's website and employment information to confirm its commitment to AI business.
If you are confident in your skills and experience, consider changing jobs to a foreign company with a higher average annual salary. In addition to technical skills as an AI engineer, foreign-capital companies require English language and communication skills, but offer greater opportunities for higher income.
Consider changing jobs to an overseas company
Considering a career change to an overseas company can also be very beneficial. Compared to Japan, annual salaries for AI engineers overseas are extremely high, and it is possible to earn more than twice the annual salary of a Japanese company. Especially in regions such as Silicon Valley, there are many job offers with annual incomes exceeding 10 to 20 million yen.
Furthermore, overseas companies often adopt a flatter organizational structure than in Japan, and it is not uncommon for young employees to be able to play an active role in the company. Because you can participate in important projects from an early stage, promotions and advancement can be realized relatively quickly.
However, high language skills are required for a successful career change to an overseas company. To compete with elite engineers, you will need to improve not only your AI skills but also your English and other language skills.
まとめ:AIエンジニアへの転職を目指すなら「United World」Summary: United World is the place to be if you want to become an AI engineer.
This article describes the average annual salary of an AI engineer and how to achieve an annual salary of 10 million yen or more.
Since AI engineers require advanced expertise and technology, the supply of human resources is insufficient in relation to the demand for AI. For this reason, annual salaries for AI engineers are generally set high, and it is quite possible to earn more than 10 million yen a year if you have the ability. Therefore, if you are at all interested, why not consider a career as an AI engineer?
At United World Corporation, dedicated career advisors support your job search by working closely with your individual needs. After carefully listening to the detailed requirements and career plans of each applicant, we will introduce the most suitable job opportunities. If you are considering a career change, please click the button below to contact us.