Salary benchmarks · September 2026

AI & Data salaries
in the UK.

AI, machine learning and data salaries in the UK, from junior analyst to Chief AI Officer. Covers data science, data engineering, analytics and AI/ML roles drawn from Stonor Search's SaaS & Tech and Marketing benchmark data.

Across the 11 ai & data roles below, Stonor's benchmarks run from £23,000 at entry level to £200,000 at the top of the ladder. Every figure is annual base salary, and every role links to a fuller guide with the level-by-level breakdown.

AI & Machine Learning

AI & Machine Learning salary benchmarks
Role	Typical salary	Salary range	London	Confidence	Updated
Machine Learning Engineer3 levels · UK average	£65,500	£35,000 – £95,000	£40,000 – £100,000	High confidence	September 2026
Data Scientist2 levels · UK average	£62,500	£45,000 – £85,000	£60,000 – £90,000	High confidence	September 2026
AI Analyst3 levels · UK average	£54,000	£30,000 – £80,000	£35,000 – £85,000	High confidence	September 2026
AI Researcher2 levels · UK average	£48,000	£25,000 – £75,000	£30,000 – £80,000	High confidence	September 2026
Head of AIUK average	£135,000	£110,000 – £160,000	£120,000 – £180,000	High confidence	September 2026
Chief AI OfficerUK average	£147,500	£110,000 – £180,000	£120,000 – £200,000	High confidence	September 2026

Data & Analytics

Data & Analytics salary benchmarks
Role	Typical salary	Salary range	London	Confidence	Updated
Data Analyst4 levels · UK average	£50,000	£23,000 – £80,000	£28,000 – £85,000	High confidence	September 2026
Head of Data3 levels · UK average	£119,000	£65,000 – £150,000	£74,345 – £160,000	High confidence	September 2026
Chief Data Officer (CDO)UK average	£98,500	£96,994 – £100,134	£99,968 – £128,813	High confidence	September 2026
Data EngineerUK average	£57,500	£50,000 – £65,000	£60,000 – £80,000	High confidence	September 2026
Insight Analyst5 levels · UK average	£57,000	£26,000 – £85,000	£31,000 – £95,000	High confidence	September 2026

What Stonor is seeing

Market observations

High demand, short supply. Analysts who can brief creatives and present insights are rare — hire quickly when you find one. Those who blend analysis with business thinking to give clients actionable insight are commanding serious attention.

Able to brief creatives and present insight
Blends analysis with commercial thinking
AI tooling and data analytics expertise

Source: Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025

Expertise in AI tools and data analytics is commanding premium pay. Data scientists, engineers and ML engineers are the most sought-after data professionals, and government investment in AI and supercomputing is expected to push demand further.

Hands-on AI and ML tooling
Blending technical AI skill with strategic, human-centred thinking
Personalisation and customer-journey work

Source: Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025

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