NLP Engineer Salary: Your 2025 Guide

Natural language processing (NLP), a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), enables computers to comprehend and respond to text and speech, facilitating smooth and meaningful human-machine interactions. Operating largely out of sight, NLP technology fuels many common daily activities. For instance, each time you use a search engine, operate GPS by voice or interact with a digital assistant, you are harnessing the power of NLP. 

The expertise and adept work of NLP engineers contribute to technologies such as Amazon's NLP-enabled digital assistant, Alexa, which offers intuitive voice-controlled experiences, such as locking your front door with smart locks, translating languages, and assisting you with daily routines. 

Read on to gain deeper insight into an NLP engineer’s job skills, salary, and career prospects.

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What does an NLP engineer do?

NLP engineers design and create NLP models and algorithms by converting human language into mathematical models. Essentially, the models translate definitions and context among other linguistic elements into instructions that computers can interpret and process. NLP engineers incorporate aspects of artificial intelligence, such as pattern recognition and machine learning, to develop these models. Other common work duties of an NLP engineer include:

• Developing algorithms that perform sentiment analysis

• Establishing data sets for language training 

• Creating mathematical frameworks that enable machines to identify patterns in data

• Working with data analysts and software developers to refine language models

How much does an NLP engineer make?

The average annual pay for NLP engineers ranges from $122,000 to $150,000, according to multiple job listing sites. When you look for NLP engineer job listings, you may find them under related names, such as computational linguist, machine learning engineer, or NLP data scientist. The following table lists the base salary ranges provided by Talent.com, ZipRecruiter, Salary.com, and Glassdoor [1, 2, 3, 4].

*All salary data as of February 2025

Factors impacting NLP engineer salary

Several factors can affect your salary as an NLP engineer. Education, experience, industry, location, and company can all influence your yearly earnings.

Education

According to Zippia, a computational linguist with a bachelor’s degree earns an average salary of $83,464 per year, while an associate degree holder yields $70,413 [5]. Earning a master's degree offers a higher average annual income of $88,203, and a doctorate degree can help you command an average of $91,228 per year [5]. The most common academic qualification among NLP engineers is a bachelor's degree. Typical fields of study include linguistics, mathematics, and computer science. 

Experience

With increased experience comes greater earning potential. The following list outlines the average base salary you can expect based on your accumulated years of experience, according to Glassdoor [4]:

• 0–1 year: $117,162

• 1–3 years: $124,593

• 4–6 years: $132,716

• 7–9 years: $139,054

• 10–14 years: $144,830

• 15 or more years: $150,680

Skills

A strong technical skill set can give you an edge over your peers as an NLP engineer, potentially leading to better job opportunities and higher pay. Payscale lists the following as key skills and average annual salaries for computational linguists [6]: 

• Natural language processing: $90,000

• Python: $85,500

• Data processing: $96,000

• Machine learning: $80,000

• Computational linguistics: $90,000

Industry

Your annual income is also shaped by the industry you choose to work in. Among the top-paying industries for NLP engineers are [4]: 

• Restaurants and food service: $129,661

• Financial services: $149,495

• Retail and wholesale: $138,265

• Human resources and staffing: $133,557

• Information technology: $127,141

Location

If you're an NLP engineer in a major tech hub or metropolitan area, you'll likely earn more due to the higher cost of living and increased demand for your expertise.

Highest-paying cities for NLP engineers

If you’re willing to relocate for your employment, gaining an insight into location-based salaries can help you make an informed decision. Below are some top-paying cities for NLP engineers in the United States, according to data aggregated by Zippia [5]:

• Mountain View, CA: $106,464

• Salem, OR: $93,763

• Annapolis, MD: $91,104

• Boston, MA: $90,585

• Hartford, CT: $90,511

• Providence, RI : $89,835

• Pittsburgh, PA: $86,417

• New York, NY: $85,190

• Richmond, VA : $85,103

Company

Big tech corporations, particularly those in the IT sector, typically pay higher salaries because they participate in larger-budget, more extensive projects.

Highest-paying companies for NLP engineers

The following list highlights salary ranges offered by top-paying companies for NLP engineers in the United States, according to Glassdoor [4]:

• Google: $218,000–$321,000

• Apple: $207,000–$282,000

• Stealth Startup: $157,000–$226,000

• Adobe: $162,000–$221,000

• Drift: $149,000–$209,000

• Applify AI: $149,000–$210,000

Is NLP in high demand?

With the AI industry advancing quickly, NLP engineers have a promising job outlook. The global market for artificial intelligence grew to over $184 billion in 2024, a notable increase of nearly $50 billion from 2023 [7]. This impressive growth is projected to continue, with the market expected to surpass $826 billion by 2030, according to Statista [7]. 

The uptick in the AI market is likely to create more employment opportunities for AI professionals, including NLP engineers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts a 26 percent increase in employment opportunities for computer and information research scientists between 2023 and 2033 [8]. The projection translates to 3,400 job openings a year, on average, during that time frame [8]. 

Learn how to boost your NLP engineer salary with Coursera

To advance in your NLP career, it's crucial to have strong programming skills, expertise in NLP libraries, and a solid understanding of machine learning algorithms. Get a headstart in NLP and improve your job prospects with the Natural Language Processing Specialization on Coursera. Offered by DeepLearning.AI, this intermediate Specialization places its focus on dynamic programming, hidden Markov models, and word embeddings. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about sentiment analysis, text generation, and named entity recognition.

Should you wish to focus on programming exclusively, consider the Python for Everybody Specialization, also available on Coursera. This five-course series is designed to help you grasp fundamental programming concepts, including data structures, application program interfaces, and databases. Additionally, you can learn how to design and build applications from the ground up for data retrieval, processing, and visualization. You can pursue this beginner-friendly Specialization even if you lack prior experience. 

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