1

Machine Learning Engineer Associate Jobs in San Diego, CA

Overview Senior Machine Learning Engineer Join a vibrant team of machine learning engineers helping conceive, code, and deploy AI science models at scale using the latest industry tools. As a Senior ...

Senior Machine Learning Engineer Location: San Diego, CA (in-office) Salary Range: $180,000 - $250,000 / yr + stock options, 401k matching, and other benefits Role Overview: Seasats' vehicles operate ...

Senior Machine Learning Engineer Location: San Diego, CA (in-office) Salary Range: $180,000 - $250,000 / yr + stock options, 401k matching, and other benefits Role Overview: Seasats' vehicles operate ...

Senior Machine Learning Engineer Location: San Diego, CA (in-office) Salary Range: $180,000 - $250,000 / yr + stock options, 401k matching, and other benefits Role Overview: Seasats' vehicles operate ...

Sr. Machine Learning Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$111K - $152K/yr

Who We Are Looking For We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next generation of voice and conversational AI agents within Realm-X. This role helps define AppFolio ...

Showing results 21-40

Machine Learning Engineer Associate information

See San Diego, CA salary details

$44.1K

$87.7K

$140.1K

How much do machine learning engineer associate jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for machine learning engineer associate in San Diego, CA is $87,736.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $69,500.00 and $100,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a machine learning engineer associate?

Machine Learning Engineer Associates are entry-level professionals who help design, build, and maintain machine learning models and systems. They typically work under the guidance of senior engineers, assisting in data preprocessing, model training, and testing. Their responsibilities may include implementing algorithms, evaluating model performance, and deploying solutions to production environments. This role requires a strong foundation in programming, statistics, and machine learning principles, often acquired through education or internships.

What are some common challenges faced by machine learning engineer associates when deploying models to production?

Machine Learning Engineer Associates often encounter challenges such as ensuring model scalability, managing data pipeline reliability, and addressing issues with model drift after deployment. Collaborating closely with data engineers and software developers is essential to integrate models seamlessly into existing systems. Additionally, balancing model performance with resource constraints and maintaining clear documentation for reproducibility are important aspects of the role. Gaining familiarity with deployment tools and best practices can help overcome these hurdles.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a machine learning engineer associate, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Machine Learning Engineer Associate, you need a solid understanding of programming (especially Python), mathematics, and foundational machine learning concepts, typically supported by a relevant degree or coursework. Familiarity with tools and frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and experience with version control systems such as Git are essential. Strong problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and a collaborative mindset help you work effectively within technical teams. These competencies ensure you can develop, implement, and improve machine learning models that deliver actionable insights and drive business value.

What are the most commonly searched types of Machine Learning Engineer jobs in San Diego, CA?

The most popular types of Machine Learning Engineer jobs in San Diego, CA are:

What are popular job titles related to Machine Learning Engineer Associate jobs in San Diego, CA?

For Machine Learning Engineer Associate jobs in San Diego, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities near San Diego, CA are hiring for Machine Learning Engineer Associate jobs?

Cities near San Diego, CA with the most Machine Learning Engineer Associate job openings:

Infographic showing various Machine Learning Engineer Associate job openings in San Diego, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 74% Full Time, 22% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $87,736 per year, or $42.2 per hour.

Machine Learning Engineer - Camera & Photos, Creative Foundations

Apple

San Diego, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 10 days ago


Apple rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 680 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 30 rated technology retailers


Job description

We're looking for a Machine Learning Engineer and Researcher to join the Creative Foundations team within Camera & Photos. In this role, you won't just implement models - you'll invent them. You'll work at the intersection of cutting-edge ML research and the features that hundreds of millions of people use every day to capture, relive, and share their most meaningful moments.
This is a role for someone who gets excited about turning a theoretical breakthrough into a magical user experience. You'll bridge the gap between what's possible in research and what's shippable in product - translating state-of-the-art advances in image understanding into intelligent systems that feel intuitive and delightful. We're especially drawn to those with a passion for photography and experience with the visual and creative domains that make this work so meaningful.
Description
As a Machine Learning Engineer on the Creative Foundations team, you will pioneer novel approaches to image understanding - designing architectures, training strategies, and intelligent systems that push the boundaries of what our camera and photo experiences can do. You'll continuously survey state-of-the-art research, rapidly prototype high-potential ideas, and translate them into shippable features - while also leveraging model introspection and interpretability techniques to deeply understand why models behave the way they do and guide decisions accordingly. You'll collaborate across disciplines with product designers, software engineers, and aesthetic science researchers in an environment that values diverse perspectives, research rigor, and agility in an ever-evolving ML landscape.
Minimum Qualifications
MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field - or equivalent practical experience demonstrating deep ML expertise.
Experience in machine learning, computer vision, or a related field (academic or industry), with a strong portfolio of building and shipping models or publishing research.
Deep understanding of modern ML architectures and techniques - including (but not limited to) transformers, diffusion models, contrastive learning, multi-modal models, and efficient neural network design and optimization.
Proficiency in ML frameworks such as PyTorch, and comfort working across the full model lifecycle from research exploration using large-scale data to production deployment.
Experience with image understanding tasks such as semantic segmentation, scene recognition, image captioning, visual question answering, image aesthetics, or image retrieval.
Strong fundamental software engineering background
Preferred Qualifications
A track record of creative problem-solving - taking an ambiguous challenge and finding an elegant, sometimes unconventional, ML-driven solution.
A genuine passion for pushing the boundaries of what's possible with machine learning and a deep curiosity for how intelligent systems can transform everyday experiences.
Published research at top-tier venues (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, NeurIPS, ICML, SIGGRAPH, etc.) is valued - but so is a strong portfolio of impactful shipped features or open-source contributions.
Comfort navigating ambiguity and working in a fast-moving R&D environment where the problem definition evolves alongside the solution.
A personal connection to photography or visual storytelling - whether through a creative practice, a deep appreciation for the craft, or simply an obsession with what makes a great image.
Specific computer vision experience in the areas of Semantic Image Understanding, Diffusion for Image Generation, Style Transfer, Computational Photography, Image Enhancement (Super-Resolution, Eenoising, etc.), Aesthetic Quality Assessment, Personalization (Few-Shot Adaptation)

What Apple employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Apple logo

About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976