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Natural Language Understanding Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Photon

Lead Developer | Kore.AI | Dallas

Addison, TX · On-site

$112K - $140K/yr

Implement natural language processing (NLP) and natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities to enable intelligent and context-aware conversations. * Ensure code quality and adherence to best ...

Photon

Developer | Kore.AI | Dallas

Addison, TX · On-site

Implement natural language processing (NLP) and natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities to enable intelligent and context-aware conversations. * Ensure code quality and adherence to best ...

Photon

Lead Developer | Kore.AI | Dallas

Addison, TX · On-site +1

$112K - $140K/yr

Implement natural language processing (NLP) and natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities to enable intelligent and context-aware conversations. * Ensure code quality and adherence to best ...

Photon

Developer | Kore.AI | Dallas

Addison, TX · On-site +1

Implement natural language processing (NLP) and natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities to enable intelligent and context-aware conversations. * Ensure code quality and adherence to best ...

Amazon

Applied Scientist, Core Search

Seattle, WA · On-site

Keyword-based search breaks down when confronted with natural language expressions. Queries like "I ... understanding that customers increasingly expect. Core Search team is reimagining search ...

Amazon

Applied Scientist, Core Search

Seattle, WA · On-site

Keyword-based search breaks down when confronted with natural language expressions. Queries like "I ... understanding that customers increasingly expect. Core Search team is reimagining search ...

TEKsystems

UX Conversational Designer

Columbus, OH · Remote

$45/hr

Familiarity with Natural Language Understanding (NLU) concepts and conversational flows. * Knowledge of technologies such as chatbots, IVR platforms, LLMs, and AI-driven solutions. * Strong ...

Xforia, Inc.

Staff ML Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

Responsibilities • Implement state-of-the-art Large Language Models (LLMs) for natural language understanding and generation tasks • Design and optimize LLM architectures to improve performance ...

Weekday AI

Machine Learning & NLP Expert

$80 - $110/hr

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) * Natural Language Generation (NLG) * Information Retrieval and Search * Applied Machine Learning Pipelines * Transformer Models and Large Language Models (LLMs)

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Natural Language Understanding information

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$24.5K

$104.1K

$189.5K

How much do natural language understanding jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 25, 2026, the average yearly pay for natural language understanding in the United States is $104,067.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $51,500.00 and $145,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is natural language understanding (NLU)?

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) is a subfield of artificial intelligence that focuses on enabling computers to understand, interpret, and respond to human language in a meaningful way. NLU involves processing text or speech input to extract intent, meaning, and context, which allows machines to interact with people naturally. It is commonly used in applications like virtual assistants, chatbots, and translation services to bridge the gap between human communication and computer interpretation.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in natural language understanding (NLU) roles?

Professionals in Natural Language Understanding often encounter challenges such as handling the ambiguity and complexity of human language, managing large and diverse datasets, and ensuring models accurately interpret context, sentiment, and intent. Collaborating closely with data scientists, linguists, and software engineers is essential to refine algorithms and improve model performance. Additionally, staying updated with rapid advancements in NLP research and integrating state-of-the-art models into production systems are ongoing aspects of the role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a natural language understanding (NLU) engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an NLU Engineer, you need a solid background in computational linguistics, machine learning, and programming (typically Python), often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with NLP frameworks (like spaCy, NLTK, or Hugging Face), deep learning libraries (such as TensorFlow or PyTorch), and experience with large language models are commonly required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and effective collaboration set standout candidates apart. These skills and qualities are crucial for developing accurate, efficient NLU systems that interpret human language for real-world applications.

What is the difference between Natural Language Understanding vs Natural Language Processing?

AspectNatural Language UnderstandingNatural Language Processing
FocusInterpreting and comprehending human languageProcessing and analyzing language data
Skills & CertificationsMachine learning, linguistics, AI certificationsData analysis, programming, NLP tools
Work EnvironmentAI research, tech companies, NLP development teamsData science, software development, AI projects

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) focuses on interpreting the meaning behind human language, enabling machines to comprehend context and intent. In contrast, Natural Language Processing (NLP) encompasses a broader set of techniques for processing, analyzing, and manipulating language data. While NLU is a subset of NLP, both roles often overlap in AI and language technology fields, but NLU emphasizes understanding, whereas NLP includes processing and generation tasks.

Is natural language understanding a good career?

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) is a specialized field within artificial intelligence focused on enabling machines to interpret human language. Careers in NLU typically require skills in machine learning, linguistics, and programming, and are in demand as AI applications expand across industries. Job prospects are strong for those with relevant technical expertise and experience with tools like Python and NLP frameworks.
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What job categories do people searching Natural Language Understanding jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Natural Language Understanding jobs are:

Natural Language Understanding jobs near you
Infographic showing various Natural Language Understanding job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 78% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 19% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $104,067 per year, or $50 per hour.

Natural Language Processing Engineer- Pipeline

Remote

Overture Partners
Recruiting and Staffing Services • 201 - 500 employees
Learn more about Overture Partnersexternal

Contractor

Re-posted 26 days ago

Job description

Our company is at the forefront of artificial intelligence, specializing in the development of cutting-edge natural language processing technologies. We are dedicated to advancing how machines understand and interact with human language, transforming communication and data analysis across various industries. We value innovation, precision, and a collaborative approach in our quest to develop intelligent NLP solutions.
We are looking for a skilled Natural Language Processing Engineer to join our team. This role involves developing and implementing NLP systems that can effectively interpret, analyze, and understand human language. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of NLP techniques and a passion for solving complex linguistic and computational challenges.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Design and develop NLP systems and applications.
  • Implement algorithms to process and analyze large amounts of natural language data.
  • Develop systems for text representation, semantic extraction, data retrieval, and natural language understanding.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate NLP capabilities into products and services.
  • Continuously update and maintain NLP models for accuracy and efficiency.
  • Conduct research and stay updated on the latest advancements in NLP.
  • Evaluate and refine NLP systems based on user feedback and performance metrics.
  • Document NLP processes and algorithms for knowledge sharing.

Qualifications:
  • Master's or Ph.D. in Computational Linguistics, Computer Science, AI, or related fields.
  • Proven experience as an NLP Engineer or similar role.
  • Strong programming skills in Python, Java, or similar languages.
  • Experience with NLP tools and frameworks (e.g., NLTK, SpaCy, TensorFlow).
  • Deep understanding of text representation techniques (e.g., n-grams, bag of words, sentiment analysis).
  • Familiarity with machine learning algorithms and concepts.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
  • Experience with machine learning and deep learning approaches to NLP is advantageous.

Summary:
Develop systems capable of interpreting and analyzing human language, requiring a deep understanding of NLP techniques and a passion for tackling linguistic and computational challenges. Responsibilities include designing NLP systems, implementing algorithms for natural language data analysis, maintaining model accuracy, and collaborating with teams to integrate NLP into various products and services.
JOB-24368

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