AI Jobs in New York City
Finance Meets Innovation
NYC is America's second-largest AI hub with Wall Street, media giants, and growing startups.
Land $180K-$350K+ roles in the city that never sleeps.
NYC Has the Jobs.
But It Is Not Silicon Valley.
Wall Street dominates NYC AI hiring with requirements that differ from West Coast tech companies.
Finance-heavy market means quant skills and trading knowledge often valued over pure ML research.
NYC employers want business impact metrics, not just technical demos or academic papers.
Your NYC AI Job Strategy.
The World-Class AI Engineer Cohort
Understand what New York employers actually want. Build a portfolio that speaks to finance, media, and enterprise buyers. Position yourself for NYC's unique AI market in 2026.
Map NYC Market
Finance vs media vs startup positioning
NYC-Ready Portfolio
Projects showing business impact and ROI
Land NYC Offers
Interview prep for New York employers
Meet Your Mentor
My aim has been the same for years: become a world-class AI engineer. Every career move I've made has been measured against that.
I started as a software tester on a $500/month internship in the Netherlands. Taught myself to code, learned to ship real systems, and worked my way to Senior Engineer at GitHub.
Then I left GitHub. I joined an AI research lab as Member of Technical Staff, where I currently build products for secure AI monitoring.
The cohort draws directly from my real experience so you can make progress fast.
I run this special cohort with only a few people because hands-on work with me is what it takes to bring you to become a world-class AI engineer.
Real Results
Vittor
AI Engineer
Built and deployed his portfolio piece, then landed the AI role
"The coaching played a huge part in my success. I focused on AI fundamentals, the certification path, and soft skills like professional writing. Having access to expert guidance gave me confidence during interviews and helped me feel I was on the right path.
I built my own platform (simple but functional) and deployed it on AWS. I used it in my portfolio and showcased it during interviews. The way complex topics were explained, especially the restaurant analogy for AI systems, really stuck with me. Focusing on doing the basics well was absolutely essential."
What You Will Get
8 Weekly Tuesday Sessions
3 hours each for 24 live hours total.
Project Scoping at Kickoff
We set the scope of what you'll ship and the milestones to get there before the live sessions start.
Code Reviews
Reviews of your code from Zen during the cohort.
Lifetime Demo Access
Every architecture demo is recorded and yours to keep.
Demo Day
You present what you built and get feedback from Zen, with a recording you can use in your portfolio.
12 Months Community Access
Included with the cohort.
NYC AI Investment Surges in 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What do AI engineers earn in New York City?
NYC AI engineer salaries are among the highest globally. Junior roles start at $140K-$180K. Mid-level engineers earn $180K-$250K. Senior roles at hedge funds and top firms reach $300K-$500K+ total compensation including bonuses. Wall Street firms often pay 30-50% higher than pure tech companies due to bonus structures.
What companies hire AI engineers in NYC?
NYC has diverse AI employers across sectors: Finance (Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Citadel, Two Sigma, Jane Street) building trading and risk systems. Media (Bloomberg, NY Times, Conde Nast) using AI for content and analytics. Tech offices (Google, Meta, Amazon) with significant NYC presence. Growing startup scene in areas like fintech, healthtech, and adtech.
How much time will this take?
You'll spend 3 hours every Tuesday in the live session and roughly 3 hours of async work in between, for 8 weeks. The Tuesday session time is fixed.
I've signed up for cohorts before and dropped out. How is this different?
It probably isn't, and you should hold the money. Most cohort dropouts are people who couldn't articulate what they were shipping when they signed up. That's why the consult exists, and why I turn down most applications. If we get on the call and you can't tell me what you'll have shipped at the end of week 8, I'll point you to the AI Native Engineer community until you can.
I'm not pivoting careers. I want to build a product. Does this still work?
Yes, the cohort works for people shipping their first serious AI system whether the goal is to land a senior role or to launch a product. The shipped system serves both equally well.
Do I need prior AI experience?
You need to be able to code in Python or TypeScript. Complete beginners can follow the classroom they get access to before the cohort sessions to come in well-prepared.
What does it cost?
It's a four-figure investment that we discuss during the 30-minute consult, alongside whether the cohort is the right fit for your project.
Can I do this while working full-time?
Yes, most attendees do. The live session is one Tuesday a week and the async work fits around your existing schedule, as long as you can carve out roughly 6 hours a week.
I accept those who have the highest chance of success.
In the 30-minute call we discuss your goals and whether you are ready for the program.