Role report · Data & AI
Research Scientist (ML): what employers ask for
Of 560 Research Scientist (ML) postings from 202 employers in the United States and Canada over the last 180 days, 63% ask for Machine Learning, 50% for Python, 34% for LLMs, 30% for PyTorch and 24% for AI Agents.
From 560 Research Scientist (ML) postings in the United States and Canada, April 23, 2026 to October 20, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026. How we count
- Postings read
- 560from 202 employers
- Remote
- 18%of postings
- Most common level
- Mid56% of postings
- Experience asked
- 4 yearsmedian, from 293 postings that state it
- Advertised pay
- $203,000median a year, from 328 postings in US dollars
The skills employers ask for most
The share of Research Scientist (ML) postings that name each skill, and how often a posting that names it lists it as required rather than nice to have.
| Skill | Share of postings | Required when named |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning | 90% | |
| Python | 89% | |
| LLMs | 79% | |
| PyTorch | 89% | |
| AI Agents | 83% | |
| Reinforcement Learning | 72% | |
| Deep Learning | 87% | |
| C++ | 76% | |
| A/B Testing | 89% | |
| LLM Fine-tuning | 79% | |
| Statistics | 92% | |
| Distributed Training | 75% | |
| Research Publication | 69% | |
| Generative AI | 77% | |
| LLM Evaluation | 81% | |
| Experimental Design | 87% | |
| NLP | 85% | |
| MLOps | 82% | |
| TensorFlow | 86% | |
| ETL/ELT | 85% |
Taking a larger share
Month on month, comparing like with like; only moves clear of noise are named.
Taking a smaller share
Named in fewer of these postings than before, beyond the month-to-month noise.
Seniority
| Level | Share | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Mid | 313 | |
| Senior | 99 | |
| Principal | 51 | |
| Staff | 50 | |
| Junior | 21 | |
| Lead | 14 | |
| Director+ | 7 |
Professional skills
Asked for alongside the technical ones.
- Communication50%
- Stakeholder Management36%
- Leadership29%
- Collaboration20%
- Technical Leadership10%
Advertised pay
328 of these postings state pay in US dollars. The middle half of their ranges' midpoints runs from $144,000 to $250,000 a year, with a median of $203,000. Pay by level, and what each skill adds to it like for like, is in the app.
Employers with the most postings
- Google24 postings
- AbbVie24 postings
- NVIDIA17 postings
- GE Vernova14 postings
- Mass General Brigham13 postings
- Anthropic13 postings
- Amazon12 postings
- DeepMind12 postings
Quick answers
What skills does a Research Scientist (ML) need?
The skills named most often in Research Scientist (ML) postings are Machine Learning, Python, LLMs, PyTorch and AI Agents. Machine Learning appears in 63% of them.
Are Research Scientist (ML) jobs remote?
18% of the 560 Research Scientist (ML) postings in the last 180 days were remote.
How much experience do Research Scientist (ML) jobs ask for?
Postings that state it ask for a median of 4 years. The most common level is Mid (56% of postings).
What does a Research Scientist (ML) earn?
Postings that state pay advertise a typical $144,000 to $250,000 a year, with a median of $203,000, from 328 postings in US dollars.
Which skills are growing for Research Scientist (ML) roles?
Python, Data Analysis, C++, C and MATLAB are taking a larger share of Research Scientist (ML) postings, month on month and comparing like with like.