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Senior Machine Learning Scientist Jobs in California

Kikoff

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

San Francisco, CA

$123K - $169K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join our team. This role will focus on ... Work closely with data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to integrate machine ...

Yum! Brands

Sr Machine Learning Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$112K - $154K/yr

We are seeking a hands-on Senior Machine Learning Engineer to support and enhance machine learning ... This role partners closely with Data Scientists, Data Engineers, and Analytics stakeholders to ...

Yum Brands

Sr Machine Learning Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$112K - $154K/yr

We are seeking a hands-on Senior Machine Learning Engineer to support and enhance machine learning ... This role partners closely with Data Scientists, Data Engineers, and Analytics stakeholders to ...

Yum

Sr Machine Learning Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$112K - $154K/yr

We are seeking a hands-on Senior Machine Learning Engineer to support and enhance machine learning ... This role partners closely with Data Scientists, Data Engineers, and Analytics stakeholders to ...

Kikoff

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$123K - $169K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join our team. This role will focus on ... Work closely with data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to integrate machine ...

Hum AI

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$123K - $169K/yr

Senior Machine Learning Engineer Location: San Francisco About Hum.ai Hum.ai is building planetary ... Collaborating with researchers and scientists to implement, evaluate and scale proof-of-concept ...

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Senior Machine Learning Scientist information

See California salary details

$65.6K

$109.1K

$162.3K

How much do senior machine learning scientist jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior machine learning scientist in California is $109,097.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $90,300.00 and $123,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior machine learning scientist?

Senior Machine Learning Scientists are experienced professionals who design, develop, and implement advanced machine learning models to solve complex business or research problems. They are responsible for leading projects, mentoring junior team members, and staying updated on the latest AI and data science technologies. Their work often involves analyzing large datasets, selecting the right algorithms, and optimizing model performance for real-world applications. In addition to technical expertise, they often collaborate cross-functionally to align machine learning solutions with organizational goals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior machine learning scientist?

To thrive as a Senior Machine Learning Scientist, you need expertise in machine learning algorithms, statistical analysis, programming (usually in Python or R), and an advanced degree (often a Ph.D.) in a quantitative field. Experience with tools such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, cloud platforms, and version control systems is typically expected, along with knowledge of deploying models in production environments. Exceptional problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills help you translate complex data insights into actionable business solutions and mentor junior team members. These skills are crucial for developing innovative models, ensuring robust deployment, and driving impactful data-driven decisions.

What are some common challenges senior machine learning scientists face when deploying models to production environments?

Senior Machine Learning Scientists often encounter challenges such as ensuring model scalability, maintaining model performance over time, and addressing data drift once models are deployed to production. Collaborating closely with engineering and operations teams is crucial to streamline deployment pipelines and monitor models for real-world reliability. It’s also important to communicate findings and potential risks to stakeholders, and to regularly update models based on new data or business requirements. These aspects make strong cross-functional teamwork and problem-solving skills essential in this role.

What is the difference between Senior Machine Learning Scientist vs Data Scientist?

AspectSenior Machine Learning ScientistData Scientist
CredentialsMaster's or PhD in CS, ML, or related fieldBachelor's or Master's in CS, Statistics, or related field
Work EnvironmentFocus on developing ML models, algorithms, and researchData analysis, visualization, and business insights
Industry UsageUsed in AI-driven companies, tech firms, research labsCommon across industries for data analysis and reporting

While both roles involve working with data, Senior Machine Learning Scientists focus on developing advanced ML models and algorithms, often requiring research and deep technical expertise. Data Scientists typically analyze data to generate insights and support decision-making. The roles overlap but differ mainly in technical depth and focus area.

Is a senior machine learning scientist a high paying job?

A senior machine learning scientist typically earns a high salary due to advanced skills in data analysis, programming, and model development, often exceeding average tech industry wages. Compensation varies by industry, location, and experience, but it generally reflects the specialized expertise required for the role.

What are the most commonly searched types of Machine Learning Scientist jobs in California?

The most popular types of Machine Learning Scientist jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Machine Learning Scientist jobs in California?

For Senior Machine Learning Scientist jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Machine Learning Scientist jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Machine Learning Scientist jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Senior Machine Learning Scientist jobs?

Cities in California with the most Senior Machine Learning Scientist job openings:

Senior Machine Learning Scientist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Machine Learning Scientist job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,097 per year, or $52.5 per hour.

Machine Learning Scientist, Pretraining

Profluent

Emeryville, CA

$200K - $330K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 29 days ago

Job description

Profluent is the frontier AI lab for biology. Profluent builds powerful foundation models for all of life's molecules, unlocking solutions that transform medicine, agriculture, and beyond. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Emeryville, CA, Profluent is backed by leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Bezos Expeditions, Spark Capital, Insight Partners, Air Street Capital, AIX Ventures, and Convergent Ventures and has raised over $150M to date.
The Role
We're looking for a motivated and creative Machine Learning (ML) Scientist to drive research into pretraining large-scale deep learning models for biomolecular design. This position offers an opportunity to work at the forefront of generative modeling research across language processing, representation learning, and protein engineering. You should be a self-directed researcher who has the ability to rapidly prototype and evaluate new models and algorithms in the biomolecular domain.
As an early employee, you will proactively shape the direction of our machine learning efforts and collaborate across diverse teams of computational and experimental scientists.
Responsibilities
  • Design and develop state-of-the-art autoregressive, diffusion and representation learning models for protein design
  • Collaborate across the machine learning and protein design teams to apply, adapt and improve pretraining techniques from other domains to biomolecular deep learning models
  • Architect, implement, and optimize core infrastructure to support the pretraining of protein language models
  • Curate relevant datasets and design tasks for rigorous evaluation of generative models
  • Implement, analyze, and interpret multiple computational approaches and present results to colleagues in regular update meetings
  • Work within a collaborative, fast-paced, interdisciplinary team across biology and machine learning to help shape the scientific and strategic vision of the company

Qualifications
  • PhD (or equivalent industry experience) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Applied Math, Computational Biology, Statistics, or a related field
  • Experience with conceiving of, implementing, and evaluating novel machine learning and pretraining large scale LLMs or other models in biomolecular domain
  • Publications at major machine learning conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR) or scientific journals (Nature, Science, Nature Biotech, Nature Methods, PNAS) or experience pre-training LLMs at frontier AI/ML labs
  • Experience with modern deep learning frameworks such as Pytorch or Jax

Preferences
  • Familiarity with foundational biology of proteins and nucleic acids
  • Experience developing machine learning models for proteins (language models, structure prediction, design)
  • Experience with cloud compute platforms (GCP, AWS, Azure, OCI)
  • Previous experience in data extraction and curation from bioinformatics data sources
  • Familiarity with wet lab experimental assays and associated limitations

What We Offer
  • High-growth opportunity with meaningful impact on the future of protein design
  • Competitive compensation package with equity participation
  • 401(k) with a strong employer match
  • Comprehensive benefits including health/dental/vision insurance
  • Generous PTO policy and commitment to work-life balance
  • Professional development opportunities in a cutting-edge field at the intersection of AI and biology

Profluent Bio, Inc is an equal opportunity employer promoting diversity and inclusion in the workspace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), genetic information, taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, or any other basis protected by law.
Employment Eligibility Verification
Legal authorization to work in the United States is required. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired must verify their identity and work eligibility and complete the required employment verification form upon hire.
Hiring Salary Range
$200,000-$330,000 USD

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