AI researchers command lavish salaries

Competition for AI researchers in Israel is driving monthly gross salaries as high as NIS 90,000, plus stock options. Industry sources report salaries ranging from NIS 50,000 to NIS 90,000 for in-demand professionals with advanced skills in mathematics, programming, and machine learning.

Competition for AI researchers in Israel is driving monthly gross salaries as high as NIS 90,000, plus stock options. Industry sources report that companies are offering in-demand professionals monthly salaries ranging from NIS 50,000 to NIS 90,000, plus stock options and additional benefits. At the heart of this trend is a select group of researchers and engineers with advanced skills in mathematics, programming, and machine learning, capable of developing the models that underpin AI systems. For these professionals, salary is only one factor; the choice of employer often hinges on the nature of the problems to be solved, the opportunity to learn from other researchers, and the computing resources available. The article notes a distinction between companies that develop proprietary models and those that improve existing models. Alongside SSI, Amnon Shashua's new AI venture doubleAI operates in Israel, employing some 30 R&D professionals. Data from recruitment agency GotFriends shows the average monthly salary for generative AI developers in the first half of 2025 stood at about NIS 46,800, while management roles commanded salaries ranging from NIS 60,000 to NIS 80,000. At major tech companies, stock and bonuses can constitute a major portion of total remuneration.