104 OPEN
SALARIES · PERCEPTION ENGINEER
Perception Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for perception engineer roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$210,000 – $265,000USD
§ 01
Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$155K
[ SENIOR ]
$210K
[ STAFF ]
$265K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$335K
§ 02
Top-paid open roles
- 01Principal Software Engineer, Perception ArchitectZoox·Foster City, CA$410K–$492K
- 02Director, PerceptionZoox·Foster City, CA$410K–$492K
- 03Director, Perception - Autonomous VehiclesNVIDIA·US, CA, Santa Clara$320K–$489K
- 04Principal Perception Engineer, Obstacle Foundation Models - Autonomous VehiclesNVIDIA·US, CA, Santa Clara$272K–$431K
- 05Senior Manager, PerceptionZoox·Foster City, CA$340K–$408K
- 06Senior Staff Software Engineer - Perception & SensingZoox·Foster City, CA$324K–$389K
- 07Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer - PerceptionZoox·Boston, MA$277K–$389K
- 08Senior Manager, Perception DataZoox·Foster City, CA$339K–$375K
- 09
Senior Staff AI Software Engineer, PerceptionAgility Robotics·Hybrid- Any Office (Fremont, CA, Salem, OR, or Pittsburgh, PA); Remote$238K–$372K - 10Senior Manager, Perception (R5914)Shield AI·Washington, D.C.$240K–$360K
§ 03
Top employers hiring perception engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | 14 | $270K |
| Shield AI | 14 | $248K |
| Zoox | 11 | $333K |
| Anduril Industries | 10 | $223K |
| Apptronik | 5 | $235K |
| Agility Robotics | 4 | $259K |
| Nuro | 4 | — |
| Skydio | 4 | $224K |
§ 04
Top cities hiring perception engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| US | 15 | $270K |
| Washington | 12 | $233K |
| Foster City | 9 | $357K |
| Costa Mesa | 6 | $239K |
| Mountain View | 5 | $228K |
| Austin | 5 | — |
| Melbourne | 4 | — |
| Hybrid- Any Office (Fremont | 3 | $265K |
§ 05
FAQ
- How much do perception engineers make in the robotics industry?
- Senior perception engineers in the robotics industry typically earn $210K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $265K and principal-level reach $335K. Numbers are median base salary across 121 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private robotics employers.
- Who is hiring the most perception engineers right now?
- NVIDIA (14 open roles), Shield AI (14 open roles), and Zoox (11 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 104 open perception engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most perception engineer jobs located?
- The top robotics industry hubs for perception engineer roles right now are US, Washington, and Foster City. Defense robotics tends to concentrate in DC/Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs (clearance-required roles), while commercial launch is heaviest in LA basin and Florida's Space Coast.
- Do perception engineer roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy require security clearance?
- Many do. Defense robotics programs at Anduril, Shield AI, Saronic, and defense primes require Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Commercial robotics roles at Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, 1X, Skydio, and Wayve generally do not. ITAR registration is more common than clearance — many sensor, autonomy, and unmanned-systems roles require it.
§ 06
Browse every perception engineer role