Interested in this AI Software Engineer role at BCT LLC?
Apply Now →About This Role
A career at BCT LLC means being part of something bigger than yourself. Our success comes from the dedication of our people and their commitment to delivering meaningful solutions for our customers and their missions. If you’re looking for a supportive, team\-oriented workplace where collaboration and shared success matter, we invite you to explore a career with BCT LLC.
About the job:
BCT LLC is seeking an AI/ML Software Engineer I to join our team. The ideal candidate must possess an active TS/SCI with POLY. As an AI/ML Software Engineer, you will work to help create AI/ML assisted systems engineering/architecture/security/requirements generation instances. This will involve customizing access and interfaces with a Large Language Model (LLM) tailored for the customer.
In addition, you will:
Generate required API accounts; Design user friendly interfaces allowing intuitive usage; Design/provide all necessary security measures for modular design; Design/coordinate all relevant access control measures; 5\) Design user interface to be widely accessible across the customer community; Design export features to common Microsoft office services; Design interfaces/bridge to external management tools; Assist in producing instructional materials for user training; Generate lessons learned and suggestions for improving AI/ML processes; and Provide expert advice to customers based on their specific needs.
Desired Experience:
- DoD 8570 compliance
Required Education:
Seven (7\) years of experience as a software engineer in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, complexity is required. Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related discipline from an accredited college or university is required. Four (4\) years of additional SWE experience on projects with similar software processes may be substituted for a bachelor’s degree.
Salary Range: $126,300\-165,700
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, BCT\-LLC considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
What We Offer
- Very competitive 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
- Independent 401(k) and Investment Advisory Services
- BCT\-Funded Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Health/Dental/Vision Coverage
- Competitive PTO \& Federal Holiday package
- Life/AD\&D/Disability Coverage paid 100% by BCT
- Generous Employee Referral Program
- Tuition/Training Reimbursement
- Gym Membership Program
- Pet Adoption Program
- Several Scholarship Opportunities\- available to BCT family members/dependents
Our Story
Founded in 2006, BCT LLC is a small business built on a strong foundation of core values: Humility, Respect, Integrity, Loyalty, Kindness, Gratitude, Innovation, and Initiative. These principles guide everything we do and drive our commitment to delivering exceptional service to every customer.
Headquartered in Annapolis Junction, Maryland, BCT proudly supports clients throughout the DMV region and beyond. With more than 70 years of combined experience supporting National Security missions, our leadership brings deep expertise, insight, and dedication to the work we do. At BCT, our employees are at the heart of our success. Team members benefit from a highly supportive, hands\-on home\-office staff and leadership that is genuinely invested in their growth, well\-being, and long\-term success. Simply put, BCT delivers the small\-business experience unlike any other—come see the difference.
*BCT LLC is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All facets of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based solely on merit \& business need. Candidates and Employees will never be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, genetic information, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.*
Salary Context
This $126K-$165K range is in the lower quartile for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $183K across 194 roles with salary data).
Role Details
About This Role
AI Software Engineers build the applications and systems that AI models run inside. They own the API layers, data pipelines, frontend integrations, and infrastructure that turn a model into a product users interact with. Every AI company needs engineers who can build the software around the AI.
The challenge is building reliable systems around inherently unreliable components. Models are probabilistic. They'll give different answers to the same question. They hallucinate. They're slow. They're expensive. Your job is to build an application layer that handles all of this gracefully while delivering a product that users trust and enjoy.
Across the 3,708 AI roles we're tracking, AI Software Engineer positions make up 7% of the market. At BCT LLC, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: building API endpoints that serve model inference with caching and fallback logic, designing the data pipeline that feeds context to a RAG system, implementing streaming responses in the frontend, debugging a race condition in the async inference pipeline, and optimizing database queries for the vector search layer. It's full-stack engineering with AI at the center.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
Skills in Demand for This Role
Full-stack engineering skills with AI integration experience. Python and TypeScript are the most common requirements. You'll need to understand API design, database architecture, and how to build reliable systems around probabilistic outputs. Experience with streaming, async processing, and caching patterns is increasingly important as real-time AI applications proliferate.
Knowledge of vector databases, embedding APIs, and LLM integration patterns (function calling, structured outputs, retry logic) differentiates AI software engineers from general software engineers. Understanding cost optimization (caching strategies, model routing, batched inference) is valuable since inference costs can dominate application economics.
Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
Compensation Benchmarks
AI Software Engineer roles pay a median of $219,250 based on 424 positions with disclosed compensation. Mid-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $200,000. This role's midpoint ($146K) sits 33% below the category median. Disclosed range: $126K to $165K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($300,000) and Research Engineer ($280,000). By seniority level: Entry: $120,000; Mid: $200,000; Senior: $230,000; Director: $272,150; VP: $250,000.
BCT LLC AI Hiring
BCT LLC has 1 open AI role right now. They're hiring across AI Software Engineer. Based in Annapolis Junction, MD, US. Compensation range: $165K - $165K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 14% (508 positions) offer remote work, while 3,180 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (1,045 roles, $220,000 median); San Francisco (810 roles, $277,088 median); Los Angeles (397 roles, $215,000 median).
Career Path
Common paths into AI Software Engineer roles include Software Engineer, Full-Stack Developer, Backend Engineer.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Staff Engineer, AI Architect, Engineering Manager.
If you're a software engineer, you're already 80% there. Learn the AI integration patterns: RAG, streaming inference, function calling, structured outputs. Build a project that demonstrates you can wrap an AI model in a production-quality application with proper error handling, caching, and user experience. That's the portfolio piece that gets you hired.
What to Expect in Interviews
Technical screens look like standard software engineering interviews with an AI twist. Expect system design questions about building reliable applications around probabilistic models: handling streaming responses, implementing retry logic for API failures, and designing caching strategies for LLM outputs. Coding rounds test standard algorithms plus practical integration patterns like async processing and rate limiting.
When evaluating opportunities: Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 3,708 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 102 entry-level, 1,705 mid-level, 1,469 senior, and 432 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 14% of the market (508 positions). The remaining 3,180 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($300,000 median, 21 roles); Research Engineer ($280,000 median, 147 roles); AI Architect ($254,798 median, 67 roles).
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 3,708 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,605), Data Scientist (310), AI Software Engineer (259). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (102) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,705) and senior (1,469) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 432 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 14% of all AI roles (508 positions), with 3,180 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $217,500. Top-quartile roles start at $272,100, and the 90th percentile reaches $325,000. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $300,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $140,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,890 postings), Aws (1,103 postings), Azure (877 postings), Rag (855 postings), Gcp (631 postings), Prompt Engineering (560 postings), Pytorch (545 postings), Claude (498 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get Weekly AI Career Intelligence
Salary data, skills demand, and market signals from 16,000+ AI job postings. Every Monday.