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Reinforcement Learning Engineer Jobs in Illinois

As an AI & Machine Learning Engineer, you will design, build, and deploy intelligent systems for ... Develop reinforcement learning and imitation learning systems for robot task planning โ€ข Build ...

Develop reinforcement learning and imitation learning systems for robot task planning * Build ... Collaborate with robotics engineers on sensor selection, placement, and calibration * Support ...

AI Engineer

Peoria, IL ยท On-site

$75K - $110K/yr

AI Engineer Location: Peoria, IL Work Environment: IN-OFFICE ONLY (Peoria, IL) Not a remote or ... Familiarity with NLP, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and large language models (LLMs)

AI Engineer

Peoria, IL ยท On-site

AI Engineer Location: Peoria, IL Work Environment: IN-OFFICE ONLY (Peoria, IL) Not a remote or ... Familiarity with NLP, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and large language models (LLMs)

AI Engineer Location: Peoria, IL Work Environment: IN-OFFICE ONLY (Peoria, IL) Not a remote or ... Familiarity with NLP, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and large language models (LLMs)

Research Scientist Senior

Chicago, IL ยท On-site +1

$101K - $129K/yr

... reinforcement learning solutions for healthcare optimization and intelligent decision systems. * Builds and operationalizes production-grade ML systems. * Partners closely with engineering ...

Research Scientist Senior

Chicago, IL ยท On-site +1

$101K - $129K/yr

... reinforcement learning solutions for healthcare optimization and intelligent decision systems. * Builds and operationalizes production-grade ML systems. * Partners closely with engineering ...

WHAT YOU'LL DO As a Staff Engineer on Braze's AI Decisioning Experience team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our AI decisioning (reinforcement learning-based personalization ...

New

Senior Research Scientist

Mundelein, IL ยท On-site

$100K - $128K/yr

Train and fine-tune models using SFT, RLHF, DPO, LoRA, and reinforcement learning and build the ... Collaborate across research, engineering, product, design, and creative and contribute to ...

New

Staff Software Engineer

Chicago, IL ยท On-site

$184K - $299K/yr

WHAT YOU'LL DO As a Staff Engineer on Braze's AI Decisioning Experience team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our AI decisioning (reinforcement learning-based personalization ...

New

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Reinforcement Learning Engineer information

See Illinois salary details

$36.8K

$112.3K

$185.6K

How much do reinforcement learning engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for reinforcement learning engineer in Illinois is $112,276.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $80,400.00 and $146,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a reinforcement learning engineer?

Reinforcement Learning Engineers are specialized professionals who design, develop, and implement algorithms based on reinforcement learning, a type of machine learning where agents learn to make decisions by receiving rewards or penalties. They work on building models that enable machines to learn optimal actions through trial and error in complex environments. Their responsibilities often include developing RL architectures, tuning hyperparameters, running simulations, and applying RL methods to real-world problems like robotics, gaming, or recommendation systems. RL Engineers typically have strong backgrounds in computer science, mathematics, and deep learning, along with experience in programming languages like Python and frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.

What are some common challenges faced by reinforcement learning engineers when deploying models in real-world environments?

One of the main challenges Reinforcement Learning (RL) Engineers face is bridging the gap between simulation and real-world deployment. Models that perform well in controlled environments may struggle with unpredictable data, safety constraints, or limited feedback in production. Additionally, RL algorithms often require significant computational resources and careful tuning to avoid instability. Collaboration with domain experts and software engineers is essential to address these issues and ensure successful integration of RL solutions into existing systems.

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

To thrive as a Reinforcement Learning Engineer, you need a strong background in machine learning, mathematics (especially probability and statistics), and programming languages like Python, often supported by a relevant degree in computer science or engineering. Familiarity with deep learning frameworks (such as TensorFlow or PyTorch), RL libraries (like OpenAI Gym), and cloud computing platforms is typically required. Problem-solving skills, creativity, and effective collaboration help set outstanding engineers apart in this field. These competencies enable the design and deployment of advanced RL solutions that address real-world challenges and drive innovation.

What is the difference between Reinforcement Learning Engineer vs Machine Learning Engineer?

AspectReinforcement Learning EngineerMachine Learning Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS, AI, or related; experience with RL frameworksBachelor's/Master's in CS, Data Science, or related; experience with ML algorithms
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, AI startups, tech companies focusing on RL applicationsTech companies, data-driven firms, AI departments across industries
Industry UsageSpecialized in RL projects like robotics, game AI, autonomous systemsBroader applications including predictive modeling, NLP, computer vision

Reinforcement Learning Engineers focus on developing algorithms that learn through interactions with environments, often in robotics or gaming. Machine Learning Engineers work on a wider range of models and applications. While both roles require strong programming and math skills, RL Engineers specialize in sequential decision-making, whereas ML Engineers handle diverse data-driven tasks across industries.

What cities in Illinois are hiring for Reinforcement Learning Engineer jobs?

Cities in Illinois with the most Reinforcement Learning Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Reinforcement Learning Engineer job openings in Illinois as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 93% In-person, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $112,276 per year, or $54 per hour.

Research Scientist/Research Engineer, Reinforcement Learning

Jump Trading

Chicago, IL โ€ข On-site

$200K - $350K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago


Job description

Jump Trading Group is committed to world-class research. We empower exceptional talents in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science to seek scientific boundaries, push through them, and apply cutting-edge research to global financial markets. Our culture is unique. Constant innovation requires fearlessness, creativity, intellectual honesty, and a relentless competitive streak. We believe in winning together and unlocking unique individual talent by incentivizing collaboration and mutual respect. At Jump, research outcomes drive more than superior risk-adjusted returns. We design, develop, and deploy technologies that change our world, fund start-ups across industries, and partner with leading global research organizations and universities to solve problems.
Our team is a group of quantitative researchers, engineers, and ML experts leading reinforcement learning research and trading at Jump. Our mission is to combine emerging techniques and original research to learn optimal decision-making policies from financial market data and monetize them globally. We are building the future of ML-powered trading through breakthrough reinforcement learning, and we're looking for an exceptional Research Scientist/Research Engineer to join our team.
What You'll Do
As a Research Scientist/Research Engineer working on RL, you'll be at the forefront of applying reinforcement learning to markets. You'll conduct original research and own the systems that turn it into production trading: designing and evaluating policy architectures, reward formulations, and objective horizons with rigorous out-of-sample benchmarking; partnering with trading and research teams to source, integrate, and validate their alpha signals within the RL framework; ensuring simulation fidelity against live trading by modeling market microstructure, fill dynamics, liquidity, and latency; building efficient tooling to store, process, and analyze very large volumes of market and signal data; and communicating findings to technical and trading audiences. This isn't incremental optimization; we're pushing the boundaries of what reinforcement learning can do at scale, where your improvements directly impact live trading.
Other duties as assigned or needed.
Skills You'll Need
  • 5+ years of experience developing reinforcement learning and/or deep learning systems with measurable impact in industry and/or academia
  • Depth in reinforcement learning, including experience designing reward formulations, policy architectures, and evaluation, and taking RL methods from research into production
  • Proficiency in Python and/or C++
  • Familiarity with ML libraries/frameworks such as PyTorch (preferred), TensorFlow, and/or JAX
  • Strong foundation in mathematics and statistics
  • PhD or Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics (or a related subject)
  • Strong publication record at ICML, ICLR, AAAI, NeurIPS, CVPR, or equivalent
  • Ability to thrive in a collaborative, team-oriented environment
  • Creative thinkers who are driven, self-motivated, and eager to solve challenging problems
  • Reliable and predictable availability
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

Benefits
  • Discretionary bonus eligibility
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care options
  • Employer Paid Group Term Life and AD&D Insurance
  • Voluntary Life & AD&D insurance
  • Paid vacation plus paid holidays
  • Retirement plan with employer match
  • Paid parental leave
  • Wellness Programs

Annual Base Salary Range
$200,000-$350,000 USD