14 OPEN
SALARIES · SLAM ENGINEER
SLAM Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for slam engineer roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$215,000 – $275,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$160K
[ SENIOR ]
$215K
[ STAFF ]
$275K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$345K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01Senior Localization Engineer - Autonomous VehiclesNVIDIA·US, CA, Santa Clara$184K–$357K
- 02W$148K–$292K
- 03Senior Software Engineer, LocalizationAurora Innovation·Mountain View, California$162K–$260K
- 04WSenior / Staff Software Engineer, LocalizationWaabi·San Francisco, CA$141K–$242K
- 05ASenior Perception Learning Engineer - SLAMApptronik·Sunnyvale, C A$190K–$235K
- 06
Senior Software Engineer, LocalizationKodiak Robotics·Mountain View, CA$180K–$230K - 07
Mapping & Localization EngineerForterra·Arlington, Virginia, US$140K–$210K - 08Mapping & Localization EngineerForterra·Clarksburg, Maryland, US$140K–$210K
- 09
Software Engineer, Localization & MappingQuidient·Columbia, Maryland, US$150K–$200K - 10Software Engineer or Scientist in Light Transport, Inverse Rendering, SLAMQuidient·Columbia, Maryland, US$120K–$180K
§ 03Top employers hiring slam engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Waabi | 2 | $206K |
| Forterra | 2 | $175K |
| Quidient | 2 | $163K |
| Aurora Innovation | 1 | $211K |
| FieldAI | 1 | $150K |
| Anduril Industries | 1 | — |
| Kodiak Robotics | 1 | $205K |
| Nuro | 1 | — |
§ 04Top cities hiring slam engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain View | 4 | $208K |
| Columbia | 2 | $163K |
| Costa Mesa | 1 | — |
| Phoenix | 1 | $220K |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | $150K |
| San Francisco | 1 | $192K |
| Sunnyvale | 1 | $213K |
| Arlington | 1 | $175K |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do slam engineers make in the robotics industry?
- Senior slam engineers in the robotics industry typically earn $215K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $275K and principal-level reach $345K. Numbers are median base salary across 78 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private robotics employers.
- Who is hiring the most slam engineers right now?
- Waabi (2 open roles), Forterra (2 open roles), and Quidient (2 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 14 open slam engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most slam engineer jobs located?
- The top robotics industry hubs for slam engineer roles right now are Mountain View, Columbia, and Costa Mesa. 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 slam 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.
§ 06See all open roles
Browse every slam engineer role