Machine Learning Engineer Salary in Houston, TX

The headline median of $124,000 is only part of the picture. Houston, TX's cost of living index is 107 (US average = 100), meaning a dollar here buys roughly 93¢ of what it buys in an average US city. The $124,000 salary effectively purchases $115,888 worth of goods and services at national-average prices.

Housing is the single biggest driver of cost-of-living differences between metros. In Houston, TX, housing costs fall closer to the national average of 25–30% of gross income, leaving more room in the budget for savings, transportation, and discretionary spending. For a $124,000 salary, that translates to roughly $34,720/year on housing alone.

State tax plays a meaningful but smaller role. Texas has no state income tax, which is typically worth 4–8% of gross salary versus a high-tax state. For this role, that's roughly $7,440 per year in additional take-home. After state tax and approximate federal FICA (~7.6%), the estimated take-home is $114,576. This excludes federal income tax, which varies by filing status and deductions.

For comparison, here are nearby alternatives: Austin, TX ($136,000 median, COL 124); Dallas, TX ($128,000 median, COL 112); El Paso, TX ($85,000 median, COL 85). If you're optimizing for purchasing power, compare the COL-adjusted column in the table above and pick the highest number. If you're optimizing for career progression, weight total employment and yearly growth in the role — larger markets offer more lateral moves and promotion velocity, even when nominal pay is lower.

The 4.3% year-over-year growth rate for Machine Learning Engineers in Houston, TX is a leading indicator of market health. Healthy growth at a steady pace — enough to support mobility but not so fast that compensation is racing ahead of credentials. For side-by-side comparisons, try the full city ranking for Machine Learning Engineers or the Texas state overview.