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Ai Researcher Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Scout AI

Senior AI Researcher

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site +1

$200K - $400K/yr

The Role We're hiring a Staff or Senior AI Researcher on the Fury Team to help push the frontiers of embodied intelligence for autonomous defense systems. You will lead research in core areas ...

Cisco

Senior AI Researcher

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$216K/yr

Our research spans foundation models, agentic AI, multimodal learning, reasoning systems, scalable training algorithms, evaluation science, inference optimization, and AI systems infrastructure. We ...

Scout AI

AI Researcher - Fury Team

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

They are seeking an AI Researcher to lead research in embodied intelligence for autonomous defense systems, focusing on areas such as reinforcement learning and multi-agent coordination.

Scout AI

AI Researcher - Fury Team

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

The AI Researcher on the Fury Team will lead research in embodied intelligence, focusing on areas such as reinforcement learning and multi-agent coordination to develop scalable models for defense ...

Distyl AI

Applied AI Researcher, Benchmarking

New York, NY · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

We research and deploy technologies that power AI-native operations - both for our partners and for Distyl itself. Our work spans research into self-constructing systems, the development of the most ...

Distyl AI

Applied AI Researcher, AI Systems

New York, NY · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

We research and deploy technologies that power AI-native operations - both for our partners and for Distyl itself. Our work spans research into self-constructing systems, the development of the most ...

Verneek

Applied AI Researcher

New York, NY · On-site

$40K - $200K/yr

We are looking for a stellar & highly ambitious AI/NLP researcher as core employees to help build complex AI/NLP models supporting the Verneek AI platform! You'll get to work on fundamental AI ...

Verneek

Applied AI Researcher

New York, NY · On-site

$40K - $200K/yr

We are looking for a stellar & highly ambitious AI/NLP researcher as core employees to help build complex AI/NLP models supporting the Verneek AI platform! You'll get to work on fundamental AI ...

Verneek

Applied AI Researcher

New York, NY · On-site

$40K - $200K/yr

We are looking for a stellar & highly ambitious AI/NLP researcher as core employees to help build complex AI/NLP models supporting the Verneek AI platform! You'll get to work on fundamental AI ...

Hudson River Trading

AI Researcher, LLMs

London, CA · On-site

Hudson River Trading (HRT) is seeking an LLM-focused AI Researcher to join the HAIL team. HAIL (HRT AI Labs) is the team at HRT responsible for developing and maintaining our most powerful AI models ...

Mercor

Mathematics PhD - AI Researcher

San Francisco, CA · Remote

$70 - $90/hr

About the job Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark , General Catalyst , Peter Thiel ...

Hudson River Trading

AI Researcher, LLMs

London, CA · On-site

Hudson River Trading (HRT) is seeking an LLM-focused AI Researcher to join the HAIL team. HAIL (HRT AI Labs) is the team at HRT responsible for developing and maintaining our most powerful AI models ...

Deeter Analytics Inc

Entrepreneurial AI Researcher

What we offer -A well-funded trading firm expanding into AI research - your ideas set direction and standards. -Real ownership from hypothesis to deployment. -Competitive base with meaningful upside ...

Dolby

Multimodal AI Researcher, Audio

Atlanta, GA · On-site

Our researchers have a broad range of expertise related to computer science and electrical engineering, such as AI/ML, algorithms, digital signal processing, audio engineering, image processing ...

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Ai Researcher information

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$30K

$113.1K

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How much do ai researcher jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for ai researcher in the United States is $113,102.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $67,000.00 and $154,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an AI researcher do?

An AI Researcher studies and develops artificial intelligence systems, focusing on advancing machine learning, deep learning, and other AI techniques. They design algorithms, conduct experiments, and analyze data to improve AI models. Their work often involves publishing research papers, collaborating with engineers, and staying updated with the latest advancements in AI.

What does the typical day-to-day work look like for an AI researcher?

AI Researchers often split their time between developing new algorithms, running experiments, and analyzing results to advance artificial intelligence technologies. They regularly collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product teams to ensure their research aligns with practical applications. Literature review and staying current with the latest scientific advancements are also key components of the role. Depending on the organization, AI Researchers may present their findings at conferences or contribute to academic publications, making the position both dynamic and intellectually stimulating.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an AI researcher?

To thrive as an AI Researcher, you need a strong background in computer science, mathematics, and machine learning, usually supported by an advanced degree such as a Master's or PhD. Familiarity with programming languages like Python, frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch, and experience with data analysis tools are commonly required. Critical thinking, effective communication, and a collaborative mindset distinguish top performers in this field. These skills are crucial for understanding complex problems, developing innovative solutions, and sharing findings with multidisciplinary teams.

Do I need a PhD to be an AI researcher?

A PhD is often preferred for AI researcher roles, especially in academic or advanced research settings, but it is not always required. Many AI researchers have master's degrees or equivalent experience in machine learning, computer science, or related fields, along with strong programming skills and a solid understanding of algorithms and data analysis.

How can I be an AI researcher?

To become an AI researcher, you typically need a strong educational background in computer science, mathematics, or related fields, often with a master's or Ph.D. degree. Developing skills in programming languages like Python, understanding machine learning frameworks, and gaining experience through research projects or internships are essential steps in the field.

How much does an AI researcher get paid?

AI researchers typically earn between $80,000 and $150,000 annually, depending on experience, education, and location. Senior roles or those with specialized skills in machine learning, deep learning, or data science can command higher salaries, especially in tech hubs or research institutions.
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Ai Researcher jobs near you
Infographic showing various Ai Researcher job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 76% Full Time, 20% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 66% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 30% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $113,102 per year, or $54.4 per hour.

Applied AI Researcher

Morpheus Talent Solutions

Santa Rosa, CA • On-site

Other

Posted 4 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Design evaluations for generative, reasoning, tool-use, and agentic systems across modalities.

  • Own experimental design by hypothesizing model failures, building evaluations, and quantifying issues.

  • Build RL environments and reward signals in partnership with engineers.

Job description

Applied AI Researcher - Model Evaluation & Data Strategy


San Francisco (in-person preferred; open to remote across US, UK, Australia, and Europe) · Retained search - confidential client


The engagement

Morpheus has been exclusively retained to lead the search for a founding Applied AI Researcher on behalf of an early-stage, profitable AI research company.


About the client


An early-stage AI research company that works with leading AI labs to find where frontier models fail and build the expert human data that fixes them. They run a vetted network of 5,000+ top-1% specialists across finance, medicine, law, engineering, music, and other domains - competing on the quality of expert judgment, not the scale of cheap labeling.


Backed by a top pre-seed fund and angel investors who are founders and senior researchers at leading frontier AI labs. Already profitable.


The role


A founding, research-first seat - a genuine thought partner on evaluation and data strategy, not someone who coordinates other people's research, and not client-facing or delivery. You'll design evaluations, form and test hypotheses about model failure, and define the datasets, rubrics, reward signals, and quality controls that move performance - then work with engineers to turn them into scalable programs. Publishing is core to this role, not a perk - you'll be expected to author and present research that positions the company as a research partner to the field, so a prior publication record is essential.


What you'll do


  • Design evaluations for generative, reasoning, tool-use, and agentic systems across modalities - text, audio, vision - where technique and domain expertise differ meaningfully by modality.
  • Own real experimental design: hypothesize where a model breaks, build the eval to test it, and quantify what's actually failing.
  • Build RL environments and reward signals in close partnership with engineers.
  • Recommend SFT data, preference data, expert demonstrations, critiques, and eval sets.
  • Build quality systems - calibration, blind review, adjudication - that hold up in non-deterministic domains.
  • Run pilots that prove whether an intervention moves performance, and publish work that positions the company as a research partner to the field.


What the client is looking for


  • A track record of published research - you've authored papers at venues like NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, or EMNLP (or comparable). This is a research seat with a mandate to publish, so a demonstrated publication record is essential.
  • Genuine experimental-design experience - you've designed studies and evals, not just executed someone else's rubric.
  • Comfort operating in non-deterministic domains and with novel, fast-moving research frameworks.
  • Agentic evaluation proficiency; RL environment experience, ideally built alongside engineers.
  • Cross-modal understanding - awareness that audio, text, and vision each demand different techniques.
  • Strong Python, model APIs, and structured datasets; solid grounding in benchmark design, human eval, rubric development, and statistical analysis.
  • Familiarity with SFT, preference optimization, RLHF/RLAIF, reward modeling, synthetic data, or LLM-as-a-judge.
  • Strong technical writing and the ability to drive ambiguous research independently.


Nice to have


Experience at an AI lab, foundation-model company, or post-training team; expert-data or human-eval program design; multimodal/coding/agentic eval work; public benchmarks or eval frameworks.


The reality - worth knowing up front


This is an early, high-momentum team that currently works a six-day week: Saturdays are fully remote and self-directed, no set hours - most people use them as a heads-down research day. Compensation is $200K-$350K base + equity; visa sponsorship available.


To apply


Apply here or message me directly. I represent this search exclusively and will share the company name, team, and full details confidentially with candidates who are a strong fit.

Apply