Tech Remote Salary Comparison June 2026
Salary and benefit comparison of 7 top tech remote roles from Spotify, OpenAI, Supabase to Vanta. USD ranges and negotiation strategies.
By Kelvin Desman · ·
Deep dive into remote salaries for AI engineers, data analysts, and product managers at OpenAI, Spotify, Chess.com, and other global companies.
The AI and data analytics sector is growing 27% year-over-year despite tech industry layoffs. But remote salaries for these roles remain 3-5x a typical local salary in your market.
TL;DR — key points:
TL;DR:
This month, companies like OpenAI are hiring for AI data center network engineers — a role that didn't even exist two years ago. Tether is looking for AI research engineers for reinforcement learning, while Chess.com needs ML engineers for their AI chess features.
Interestingly, established companies like Spotify are still hiring financial systems analysts, and Kyndryl (IBM's spin-off) is still looking for SAP functional analysts.
According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025, the median salary for software engineers working remotely for US/EU companies is $85,000/year. But for AI/ML specialists, the numbers can be 40-100% higher.
From June 2026 job listings:
AI Research Engineer (like at Tether): $140,000–$180,000 USD/year Typically requires PhD or top conference publications
Senior ML Engineer (like at Chess.com): $120,000–$160,000 USD More focused on engineering than research
Data Center Network Engineer (OpenAI): $110,000–$150,000 USD Niche role — requires expertise in OT networks and AI infrastructure
Data analytics and product management roles in the AI sector remain solid, despite global layoffs in the tech industry.
Seatgeek is hiring senior data analysts for their Supply Product team — likely in the $90,000–$120,000 USD range. Interestingly, this is a business-facing role requiring a combination of technical and communication skills.
Signifyd is hiring senior product managers for their identity & intelligence platform. At companies like Signifyd in the fraud detection space, senior product managers can earn $150,000–$200,000 USD plus equity.
| Role | Company | Estimated Salary USD/year | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Research Engineer | Tether | $140,000–$180,000 | Senior |
| Senior ML Engineer | Chess.com | $120,000–$160,000 | Senior |
| Data Center Engineer | OpenAI | $110,000–$150,000 | Mid-Senior |
| Senior Product Manager | Signifyd | $150,000–$200,000 | Senior |
| Senior Data Analyst | Seatgeek | $90,000–$120,000 | Senior |
| Financial Systems Analyst | Spotify | $80,000–$110,000 | Mid-Level |
Despite AI hype, traditional roles like SAP analysts at Kyndryl and financial systems analysts at Spotify are still needed.
Their salaries are indeed lower: $80,000–$110,000 USD/year for mid-to-senior levels. However, their stability is usually higher — companies rarely lay off ERP/finance systems teams because these systems are critical to operations.
The $100,000 USD/year figure is 3-5x a typical local salary in your market.
While remote AI/data roles offer attractive salaries, there are tradeoffs that aren't often discussed:
Layoffs are still rampant — Reuters reported that the tech sector is still experiencing layoffs, with AI often cited as a reason for restructuring
AI research roles are very competitive — For positions like at Tether, they typically hire from top universities or people with existing publications
Timezone differences — Working remotely for US companies often means late-night or very early morning hours
Tax complexity — USD earnings must be reported according to local tax laws, and exchange rates fluctuate
From the 7 analyzed job listings, all have undisclosed salaries. Here's how to estimate:
Example: Senior ML Engineer at Chess.com is likely in the $120,000–$150,000 range because they're profitable but not unicorns.
For beginners, you can read about remote backend engineer salaries as a baseline, or remote DevOps salaries for infrastructure roles.
For research engineer positions at companies like Tether or OpenAI, a PhD or equivalent research experience is typically required. However, for applied ML engineers (like at Chess.com), experience building production ML systems is more valued than academic credentials.
Earnings from abroad are subject to progressive taxation up to 30% in many countries. However, there are tax treaties and deductions that can reduce liability. Consult a tax professional familiar with multi-country taxation.
Most companies in this list are remote-first, so they hire as contractors or through EOR (Employer of Record). Visa sponsorship is rarely provided except for executive roles.
Very competitive — the applicant pool is global and requirements are high. To increase your chances, build a portfolio of projects that demonstrate your ability to solve real problems with AI/ML, not just coursework or certificates.
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