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Machine Learning Engineer New Grad Jobs in California

Lead Machine Learning Engineer

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site +1

$120.80K - $159.10K/yr

McLean, VA: $197,300 - $225,100 for Lead Machine Learning Engineer New York, NY: $215,200 - $245,600 for Lead Machine Learning Engineer San Francisco, CA: $215,200 - $245,600 for Lead Machine ...

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Machine Learning Engineer New Grad information

See California salary details

$31.1K

$127.1K

$191K

How much do machine learning engineer new grad jobs pay per year?

As of May 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for machine learning engineer new grad in California is $127,083.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $100,200.00 and $153,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Machine Learning Engineer New Grad job?

A Machine Learning Engineer New Grad job is an entry-level role for recent graduates specializing in machine learning and artificial intelligence. It typically involves developing, training, and deploying machine learning models, working with large datasets, and optimizing algorithms for performance. New grads in this role often collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product teams to integrate models into applications. Employers look for proficiency in programming (Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch), a strong foundation in ML concepts, and experience with data processing. This role provides an opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience and grow technical skills in real-world applications.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Machine Learning Engineer New Grad position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Machine Learning Engineer New Grad, a strong background in computer science, statistics, and mathematics, often supported by a relevant degree, is essential. Familiarity with programming languages like Python or Java, machine learning frameworks (such as TensorFlow or PyTorch), and basic knowledge of data tools and cloud platforms is typically required. Effective problem-solving, eagerness to learn, and clear communication help new grads excel when collaborating on projects and learning from senior team members. These skills and qualities are vital for adapting quickly, contributing to team goals, and building a successful foundation in this fast-evolving technical field.

What are the typical day-to-day tasks of a Machine Learning Engineer New Grad?

As a Machine Learning Engineer New Grad, your daily tasks often include collecting and preprocessing data, developing and testing machine learning models, and analyzing model performance. You may work closely with data scientists and software engineers to integrate models into production systems and address real-world business problems. Participating in team meetings, code reviews, and collaborative projects is common, providing opportunities to learn best practices and receive mentorship. This hands-on, varied workload helps you quickly build technical and collaborative skills early in your career.
What are the most commonly searched types of Machine Learning Engineer New Grad jobs in California? The most popular types of Machine Learning Engineer New Grad jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Machine Learning Engineer New Grad jobs? Cities in California with the most Machine Learning Engineer New Grad job openings:
Infographic showing various Machine Learning Engineer New Grad job openings in California as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 89% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 46% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 53% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $127,083 per year, or $61.1 per hour.
Machine Learning Engineer - New Grad 2026

Machine Learning Engineer - New Grad 2026

Nextdoor

San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site

$150K - $175K/yr

Full-time

PTO

This job post hasย expired today.ย Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

#TeamNextdoor

Nextdoor (NYSE: NXDR) is the essential neighborhood network. Neighbors, public agencies, and businesses use Nextdoor to connect around local information that matters in more than 350,000 neighborhoods across 11 countries. Nextdoor builds innovative technology to foster local community, share important news, and create neighborhood connections at scale. Download the app and join the neighborhood at nextdoor.com.

Meet Your Future Neighbors

At Nextdoor, Machine Learning is one of the most critical teams we are growing. ML is transforming our product through personalization, driving significant impact across various platform components, including newsfeed, notifications, ad relevance, connections, search, and trust. Our machine learning team is lean but hungry to drive even more impact and make Nextdoor the neighborhood hub for local exchange. ML will be an integral part of making Nextdoor valuable to our members. We also believe that ML should be ethical and encourage healthy habits and interaction, not addictive behavior. We are looking for great machine learning engineers who believe in the power of the local community to empower our members to make their communities great places to live.

At Nextdoor, we operate in an AI-first environment and expect every team member to actively use AI tools as part of their workflow. We aren't looking for prompt engineers; we're looking for people who use tools like Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Glean to challenge their own thinking and take full ownership of AI-assisted outputs.

We also offer a warm and inclusive work environment that embraces a hybrid employment model, blending an in office presence and work from home experience for our valued employees. The hiring team will go over these expectations with you if you are being considered for a role near one of our offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, New York, and London.

The Impact You'll Make

You will be part of an avid and impactful team building data-intensive products, working with data and features, building machine learning models, and sharing insights around data and experiments. You will be working closely with the product team and the Data Science team on a daily basis.

  • Build and iterate on ML-driven products to foster creativity, discovery, and engagement on Nextdoor
  • Develop personalized content and user recommendation systems that millions of users rely on daily
  • Run and analyze live user-facing experiments to iterate on model quality
  • Collaborate with other engineers and data scientists to create optimal experiences on the platform
  • Participate in in-person Nextdoor events such as trainings, off-sites, volunteer days, and team building exercises
  • Build in-person relationships with team members and contribute to Nextdoor's company culture

We have MLE positions across multiple tracks, including Feed, Notifications, Ads, Network Growth, Knowledge Graph, and ML Platform.

What You'll Bring To The Team
  • Master's Degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Applied Math, Statistics, or a related field, graduating in December 2025/May-June 2026
  • Deep understanding of machine learning concepts (e.g. deep learning) and applications (e.g. recommender systems, knowledge graph)
  • Internship in machine learning engineering in a related field (e.g. social networking, e-commerce)
  • Strong programming skills in Python or Java
  • Effective communication and collaboration skills
  • Passion for Nextdoor's mission and purpose
  • Bonus Points - Industry experience of applying machine learning at scale
Rewards

Compensation, benefits, perks, and recognition programs at Nextdoor come together to create our total rewards package. Compensation will vary depending on your relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

The starting salary for this role is expected to be $150,000 to $175,000 on an annualized basis, or potentially greater in the event that your 'level' of proficiency exceeds the level expected for the role. The salary range will be determined by the candidate's geographic location.

We expect to award a meaningful equity grant for this role. With quarterly vesting, your first vest date will take place within 3 months of your start date.

Perks & Benefits

We've got you covered! We are dedicated to supporting your personal and professional growth with a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

  • Access to benefits (including mental health benefits, commuter benefits, wellness benefits, gender affirming care, etc)
  • Flexible paid time off
  • Dedicated volunteer days
  • Stocked micro-kitchens and lunches at our offices
  • Ability to join any of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

At Nextdoor, we empower our employees to build stronger local communities. To create a platform where all feel welcome, we want our workforce to reflect the diversity of the neighbors we serve. We encourage everyone interested in our mission to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, or any other trait that unfairly targets a group of people. In accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we always consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For information about our collection and use of applicants' personal information, please see Nextdoor's Personnel Privacy Notice, found here.