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Principal Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in California

Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ... Solid proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) * Experience ...

Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ... Solid proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) * Experience ...

Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ... Solid proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) * Experience ...

Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ... Solid proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) * Experience ...

Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ... Solid proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) * Experience ...

Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI ... Solid proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) * Experience ...

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Principal Machine Learning Engineer information

See California salary details

$73K

$145.3K

$209.7K

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

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal machine learning engineer in California is $145,292.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $116,900.00 and $170,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What types of projects and responsibilities can a Principal Machine Learning Engineer typically expect in this role?

Principal Machine Learning Engineers are often tasked with leading the design, development, and deployment of large-scale machine learning models and systems that address key business challenges. In this role, you will collaborate closely with data scientists, engineers, and product managers to define project requirements, architect solutions, and ensure high-quality delivery. You may also guide research initiatives, oversee code and model reviews, and mentor junior engineers, helping to shape the technical direction of the team. Typical responsibilities can range from prototyping and optimizing algorithms to ensuring models are scalable, reliable, and aligned with organizational goals.

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

To thrive as a Principal Machine Learning Engineer, you need advanced expertise in machine learning algorithms, statistical analysis, software engineering, and a strong background in computer science or related fields, often supported by a master's or PhD degree. Familiarity with tools such as Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), and relevant certifications strengthens technical capability. Leadership, strategic thinking, effective communication, and mentorship are vital soft skills for guiding teams and collaborating across departments. These competencies are essential for driving innovation, ensuring technical excellence, and influencing organizational AI initiatives.

Will MLE be replaced by AI?

Principal Machine Learning Engineers design, develop, and oversee AI and machine learning systems, and their roles involve understanding complex algorithms, data management, and model deployment. While AI automates certain tasks, MLE roles focus on building and maintaining AI infrastructure, which requires human expertise, critical thinking, and ongoing innovation that AI cannot fully replace. The role is expected to evolve alongside advancements in AI technology but remains essential for guiding AI development and ensuring ethical, effective implementation.

What does a Principal Machine Learning Engineer do?

A Principal Machine Learning Engineer leads the design, development, and deployment of machine learning models and systems. They set technical strategy, mentor engineers, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to solve complex AI challenges. Their role often includes researching new algorithms, optimizing model performance, and ensuring scalability in production environments. Additionally, they work closely with data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to align ML initiatives with business objectives.

How much do principal AI engineers make?

Principal AI engineers typically earn between $130,000 and $200,000 annually, with salaries varying based on experience, location, and industry. They often have advanced skills in machine learning, deep learning, and data science, and may receive bonuses or stock options as part of compensation packages.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Principal Machine Learning Engineers and senior data scientists in the tech industry often earn $300,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills in deep learning and AI, and working at large technology companies or startups with competitive compensation packages. High salaries may also include bonuses, stock options, and other benefits.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

A Principal Machine Learning Engineer can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills in deep learning and data science, and working at large tech companies or in high-demand industries. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and stock options, reflecting their seniority and expertise.
Infographic showing various Principal Machine Learning Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $145,292 per year, or $69.9 per hour.
Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Cisco

Milpitas, CA • On-site

$291K - $369K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 16 days ago


Cisco Systems rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 42 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

46th of 142 rated electronics manufacturers


Job description

The application window is expected to close on:

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team

Splunk, a Cisco company, is building a safer, more resilient digital world with an endtoend, fullstack platform designed for hybrid, multicloud environments. Join theAI Modelsteam at Splunk, where we advance the state of AI for highvolume, realtime, multimodal machinegenerated data - including logs, time series, traces, and events. We combine deep AI research expertise with the scale and operational excellence of Splunk and Cisco's global engineering capabilities. Our work spans networking, security, observability, and customer experience - designing and deploying foundation models that enhance reliability, strengthen security, preventdowntime, and deliver predictive insights across Splunk Observability, Security, and Platform at enterprise scale. You'll be part of a culture that values technical excellence, impactdriven innovation, and crossfunctional collaboration - all within a flexible, growthoriented environment.

Your Impact

  • Set and Drive Vision:Define and champion the strategic vision for AI and foundation models across Splunk and Cisco platforms, shaping the research and technology roadmap to anticipate and address industrydefining challenges.

  • Architect and Lead Breakthroughs: Lead the endtoend lifecycle of research, design, and deployment for largescale foundation models targeting machinegenerated data, with deep focus on logs and complementary modalities (time series, traces, events).

  • Influence at Scale: Partner with executive leadership, engineering, product, and data science teams to ensure AI solutions align with broader organizational objectives, product strategies, and customer needs.

  • Mentorship and Thought Leadership: Cultivate organizational excellence by mentoring senior technical talent, fostering research communities, and driving best practices in AI across global teams.

  • Foster Innovation: Embed cuttingedge research and technological advances into products, driving sustained competitive advantage and transformation at enterprise scale.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • PhD in Computer Science, or related quantitative field, plus7+ years of industry research experience.

  • Proven track record in at least one of the following areas: large language modeling for both structure and unstructured data, deep learningbased time series modeling, advanced anomaly detection, and multi-modality modeling.

  • Solid proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)

  • Experience translating research ideas into production systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Deep NLP & DomainAdapted LLMs: Background in building and adapting largescale language models (e.g., T5, BERT, LLaMA, GPTs) for specialized domains including structured/unstructured logs, text, and event sequences.

  • Log Analytics Expertise - Indepth knowledge of structured/unstructured system logs, event sequence analysis, anomaly detection, and root cause identification.

  • Advanced Anomaly Detection - Experience creating robust, scalable approaches (statistical, deep learning, or hybrid) for highvolume, realtime logs data.

  • MultiModal AI Modeling - Strong track record fusing logs, time series, traces, tabular data, and graphs for foundation models tackling complex operational insights.

  • LargeScale Training & Optimization - Experience optimizing model architectures, distributed training pipelines, and inference efficiency to minimize cost and latency while preserving accuracy.

  • MLOps & Continuous Learning - Fluency in automated retraining, drift detection, incremental updates, and production monitoring of ML models.

  • Strong Research Track Record - Publications in top AI/ML conferences or journals (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AAAI, CVPR, ACL, KDD) demonstrating contributions to stateoftheart methods and realworld applications.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we're revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We've been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you'll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:The starting salary range posted for this position is $291,500.00 to $369,100.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco's plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco's policies:

  • 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

  • 1 paid day off for employee's birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

  • Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

  • Exempt employees participate in Cisco's flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

  • 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto the next

  • Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

  • Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

  • .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

  • 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

  • 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

  • Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$291,500.00 - $424,400.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$259,400.00 - $377,600.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.


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About Cisco Systems

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Cisco Systems, a global tech titan based in San Jose, CA, US, operates in the information technology and services industry. Founded in 1984, the company was derived from a project between two computer scientists from Stanford University. They aimed to connect different networks of computer systems at the university, resulting in the first multi-protocol router, and subsequently, the birth of Cisco. As an industry-leading manufacturer of networking hardware and telecommunications equipment, Cisco's product and services range includes routers, switches, firewall devices, and telecommunication technology. The company's mission, "to shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners," is a testament to its pursuit of technology-forward innovation and customer satisfaction.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Jose, CA, US

Year founded

1984

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