Interested in this Data Scientist role at Salesforce?
Apply Now →Skills & Technologies
About This Role
*To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.*
Job Category
Software Engineering
Job Details
About Salesforce
Salesforce is the \#1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.
Ready to level\-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.
About the Team
Our Data Science team builds the next generation of enterprise AI systems powering conversational agents, voice experiences, language models, and intelligent automation. We work across the entire AI stack, from data and model development to evaluation, safety, and production optimization, to deliver reliable, trustworthy AI at enterprise scale.
We're looking for a Senior Data Scientist who is passionate about applying machine learning, statistics, and generative AI to solve complex real world problems. You'll work closely with engineers, product managers, researchers, and business stakeholders to build, optimize, and evaluate AI systems that deliver measurable customer impact.
Responsibilities
- Design and execute experiments to evaluate and improve the quality of large language models (LLMs), voice/text AI systems, multimodal models, and long horizon task agents
- Build scalable evaluation datasets, benchmarks, and automated evaluation frameworks across language, speech, reasoning, and agent workflows
- Analyze large\-scale product, customer, and model telemetry to identify failure modes, performance bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement
- Develop statistical models, predictive analytics, and experimentation frameworks to measure model quality, user experience, and business impact
- Develop, optimize, and evaluate prompts, system instructions, retrieval strategies, and context engineering techniques to improve performance, reliability, efficiency, and safety of AI applications
- Fine\-tune and adapt foundation models to improve task specific performance, efficiency, and enterprise readiness using supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and other modern techniques
- Design and curate high quality datasets for model training, evaluation, and continuous improvement of AI systems
- Partner with cross functional stakeholders to define AI product requirements, success metrics, experimentation strategies, and data driven roadmaps
- Build dashboards, analytics pipelines, and reporting frameworks that provide actionable insights into AI quality, reliability, customer experience, and business outcomes
- Apply statistical inference, causal analysis, and machine learning techniques to solve challenging product and operational problems
- Develop scalable evaluation methodologies for Responsible AI, including safety, robustness, fairness, security, and governance
Communicate technical findings and recommendations clearly to both technical and executive audiences
*
Preferred Qualifications
- 5\+ years of experience in Data Science, Machine Learning, Applied AI, or a related technical field
- Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Operations Research, Machine Learning, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience
- Strong experience with Large Language Models (LLMs), Generative AI, and AI agents
- Experience with prompt engineering, context engineering, and Retrieval\-Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Experience fine tuning and adapting foundation models for domain specific applications
- Experience applying reinforcement learning and modern model optimization techniques
- Strong foundation in machine learning, statistics, experimentation, and causal inference
- Experience designing A/B tests and interpreting experimental results
- Proficiency in Python and common machine learning frameworks
- Experience with speech, multimodal AI, conversational AI, or voice agents is a plus
- Experience monitoring and continuously improving machine learning models in production
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence cross functional teams and executive stakeholders
*
Preferred Skills
- Large Language Models (LLMs)
- Generative AI
- AI Agents
- Prompt Engineering
- Context Engineering
- Foundation Model Fine Tuning
- Reinforcement Learning (RL)
- Retrieval\-Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Machine Learning
- Statistical Modeling
- Experiment Design and A/B Testing
- Causal Inference
- Predictive Analytics
- Python
- AI Evaluation and Benchmarking
- Responsible AI
- Speech and Multimodal AI
- Data Visualization
What Makes You Successful
You're a hands on technical expert who enjoys solving challenging AI problems through data, experimentation, and machine learning. You combine strong analytical thinking with practical engineering skills and are comfortable working across the full AI lifecycle, from data curation and model optimization to evaluation and production deployment. You thrive in collaborative environments, communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, and are driven to build AI systems that are reliable, scalable, and deliver meaningful business and customer value.
Unleash Your Potential
When you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and *be your best* , and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can *do your best* . Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future — but to redefine what’s possible — for yourself, for AI, and the world.
Accommodations
If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form .
Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.
Posting Statement
Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non\-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.
In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job\-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.
At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions.\&\#xa;\&\#xa;The typical base salary range for this position is $148,500 \- $260,100 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $178,900 \- $285,800 annually.\&\#xa;\&\#xa;The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.
Salary Context
This $148K-$285K range is above the 75th percentile for Data Scientist roles in our dataset (median: $160K across 258 roles with salary data).
View full Data Scientist salary data →Role Details
About This Role
Data Scientists extract insights and build predictive models from data. In the AI era, many roles now include LLM-powered analytics, automated reporting, and integration with generative AI tools. The role has evolved from 'the person who runs SQL queries' to 'the person who builds AI-powered data products.'
Modern data science roles fall into two camps: analytics-focused (insights, dashboards, experimentation) and ML-focused (building predictive models, recommendation systems, NLP features). The best data scientists can operate in both modes. The AI shift means that even analytics-focused roles now involve building automated insight pipelines using LLMs, going well beyond one-off reports.
Across the 4,317 AI roles we're tracking, Data Scientist positions make up 8% of the market. At Salesforce, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: analyzing experiment results for a product feature launch, building a predictive model for customer churn, creating an automated reporting pipeline using LLM-powered summarization, presenting insights to stakeholders, and cleaning data (always cleaning data). The ratio of analysis to engineering varies by company, but expect both.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
Skills Required
Python, SQL, and statistical modeling are the foundation. Increasingly, roles want experience with LLMs for data analysis, automated insight generation, and building AI-powered data products. Familiarity with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks) and ML frameworks (scikit-learn, PyTorch) covers most job requirements.
Experimentation design and causal inference are underrated skills that separate strong candidates. Companies care about whether their product changes cause improvements, and can distinguish causation from correlation. A/B testing methodology, Bayesian statistics, and the ability to communicate uncertainty to non-technical stakeholders are high-value skills.
Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
Compensation Benchmarks
Data Scientist roles pay a median of $192,890 based on 789 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $227,400. This role's midpoint ($217K) sits 13% above the category median. Disclosed range: $148K to $285K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($287,500) and Research Engineer ($272,100). By seniority level: Entry: $110,000; Mid: $194,400; Senior: $227,400; Director: $274,554; VP: $241,000.
Salesforce AI Hiring
Salesforce has 10 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI Product Manager, AI/ML Engineer, AI Software Engineer, Data Scientist. Positions span Seattle, WA, US, San Francisco, CA, US, Bellevue, WA, US. Compensation range: $194K - $456K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 15% (635 positions) offer remote work, while 3,657 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (1,650 roles, $220,000 median); San Francisco (1,335 roles, $265,000 median); Los Angeles (708 roles, $214,112 median).
Career Path
Common paths into Data Scientist roles include Data Analyst, Statistician, Quantitative Researcher.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Senior Data Scientist, ML Engineer, AI Product Manager.
Start with statistics and SQL. Build a real analysis project on public data that demonstrates insight generation alongside model building. The market values data scientists who can communicate findings clearly to business stakeholders. If you want to move toward ML engineering, invest in software engineering fundamentals and production deployment skills.
What to Expect in Interviews
Interviews combine statistics, coding, and business acumen. SQL is almost always tested, often with complex joins and window functions. Expect a case study round where you're given a business problem and asked to design an analysis plan. Coding rounds focus on pandas, statistical modeling, and visualization. The strongest differentiator is how well you communicate insights to non-technical stakeholders during presentation rounds.
When evaluating opportunities: Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 4,317 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 138 entry-level, 2,071 mid-level, 1,655 senior, and 453 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 15% of the market (635 positions). The remaining 3,657 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($287,500 median, 34 roles); Research Engineer ($272,100 median, 227 roles); AI Engineering Manager ($244,000 median, 23 roles).
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 4,317 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (3,004), Data Scientist (345), AI Software Engineer (309). 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 (138) are outnumbered by mid-level (2,071) and senior (1,655) 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 453 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 15% of all AI roles (635 positions), with 3,657 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 $215,000. Top-quartile roles start at $266,300, and the 90th percentile reaches $320,790. 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 $287,500 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $145,000. 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 (2,249 postings), Aws (1,224 postings), Azure (938 postings), Rag (915 postings), Gcp (660 postings), Pytorch (640 postings), Prompt Engineering (624 postings), Kubernetes (559 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.