Research Scientist (AI/ML)
Median salary, education path, job outlook, and related careers — based on U.S. labor data.
Median salary
$168,000/yr
Typical range
$135,000 – $210,000
Education
Doctoral degree
Time to entry
About 8+ years of higher education
What a Research Scientist (AI/ML) does
Conducts original research to advance the state of artificial intelligence and machine learning, publishing findings and developing novel algorithms.
Education & path
The typical entry point is a doctoral degree. About 8+ years of higher education.
Estimated cost of that path: ~$110,000. Estimated payback: ~3 years. Estimates only — actual cost varies widely by school and financial aid; payback assumes ~20% of income applied.
Related careers
- Android Developer — $116,000/yr
- Backend Engineer — $120,000/yr
- DevOps Engineer — $125,000/yr
- Frontend Engineer — $110,000/yr
- Full Stack Developer — $115,000/yr
Is this the right career for you?
Take Foravue's free career quiz — no sign-up needed — and get matched to careers and colleges that fit who you actually are.
Take the free quiz →