What Does a Research Scientist Do?
AI Research Scientists push the boundaries of what AI can do. They design novel architectures, develop new training techniques, and publish findings that advance the field.
A Typical Day
- Designing and running experiments on novel architectures
- Reading and building on recent research papers
- Writing papers and preparing conference submissions
- Collaborating with engineering teams on research-to-production transfer
- Mentoring junior researchers and interns
Required Skills
The most in-demand skills for Research Scientist roles, ranked by how often they appear in job postings.
- 1 Python 227 jobs
- 2 AWS 178 jobs
- 3 Rust 167 jobs
- 4 RAG 145 jobs
- 5 TensorFlow 85 jobs
- 6 Fine-tuning 73 jobs
- 7 scikit-learn 73 jobs
- 8 AI Agents 58 jobs
- 9 PyTorch 37 jobs
- 10 Prompt Engineering 28 jobs
Salary & Compensation
Based on 241 job postings with disclosed compensation ranges.
Salary by Experience Level
| Level | Jobs | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Mid Level | 8 | $137K - $217K |
| Senior | 233 | $152K - $254K |
Highest Paying Cities
| Metro | Jobs | Avg Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 5 | $161K - $279K |
| Los Angeles | 13 | $165K - $269K |
| Boston | 16 | $157K - $267K |
| San Francisco | 46 | $154K - $255K |
| New York | 50 | $152K - $251K |
How to Get Started
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1
Build Your Foundation
A PhD in machine learning, computer science, or a related field is typically required. Strong publication records at top venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, CVPR) are expected.
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2
Master the Core Skills
Focus on the skills employers are asking for right now: Python, AWS, Rust. These are the top 3 skills appearing in Research Scientist job postings.
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3
Build Portfolio Projects
Ship real projects that demonstrate your skills. Open-source contributions, personal projects, or freelance work all count. Hiring managers want to see what you can build, not just what you know.
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4
Apply Strategically
Target companies actively hiring for this role. Top employers include Amazon.com, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google. Tailor your resume to match the specific skills each company lists in their job descriptions.
Top Hiring Companies
Companies with the most Research Scientist job openings right now.
Career Progression
A typical career path for Research Scientist professionals.
Explore Research Scientist Careers
Related Roles
Frequently Asked Questions
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