AI Research Engineer Jobs in California
AI Research Engineer jobs in California represent one of the most active and competitive markets in the country, concentrated in machine learning infrastructure, large language model development, computer vision, and AI safety across technology companies, biotech firms, and defense contractors at every level from entry-level research associate through principal researcher. The largest hiring metros are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where employers like Google, Meta, and Qualcomm maintain deep research operations. Demand is especially strong for engineers specializing in foundation model training, reinforcement learning, and applied AI systems. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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AI Research Scientist, Robotics - Meta Superintelligence Labs Responsibilities:
- Perform fundamental and applied research to push the scientific and technological frontiers of embodied artificial intelligence
- Invent/improve novel data-driven paradigms for robotics, leveraging a variety of modalities (images, video, text, audio, tactile, etc)
- Investigate paradigms that can deliver a spectrum of embodied behaviors - from simulated characters to real robots, and from short-horizon, low-level to long-horizon, high-level intelligence
- Develop algorithms based on state-of-the-art machine learning and neural network methodologies
- Define, build and benchmark new capabilities needed for the next generation of AI
- Conduct research towards long-term research goals while identifying intermediate milestones
- Lead, plan, and execute novel research based on long-term objectives of the organization
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- PhD degree in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Language, a related field, or equivalent practical experience
- 2+ years of industry experience in relevant robotics related research areas, such as: robot learning, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, action-conditioned world models, task and motion planning, sim-to-real transfer robotic control, manipulation, navigation, or generally embodied AI
- Experience with any of the following research areas: robotics, motion planning, embodied AI, human-robot interaction, sim-to-real transfer, learning from demonstration, reinforcement learning, dexterous manipulation, digital agents, vision language models, computer vision, egocentric perception, and/or LLMs
- Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proven track record of achieving significant results as demonstrated by grants, fellowships, patents, as well as publications at leading workshops, journals or conferences in Machine Learning (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR), Robotics (ICRA, IROS, RSS, CoRL), Computer Vision (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV)
- 5+ years of industry experience in relevant robotics related research areas, such as: robot learning, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, action-conditioned world models, task and motion planning, sim-to-real transfer robotic control, manipulation, navigation, or generally embodied AI
- Experience solving complex problems and comparing alternative solutions, tradeoffs, and different perspectives to determine a path forward
- Demonstrated research and software engineering experience via an internship, work experience, coding competitions, or widely used contributions in open source repositories (e.g. GitHub)
- Experience with robotics frameworks like ROS, along with experience working with robot simulations and real-world hardware
- Experience building systems based on machine learning and/or deep learning methods
- Experience with deep learning frameworks (such as pytorch, tensorflow) and Python
- Experience with manipulating and analyzing complex, large scale, high-dimensionality data from varying sources
- Experience working and communicating cross functionally in a team environment
About Meta:
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
$184,000/year to $257,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
AI Research Scientist, Robotics - Meta Superintelligence Labs Responsibilities:
- Perform fundamental and applied research to push the scientific and technological frontiers of embodied artificial intelligence
- Invent/improve novel data-driven paradigms for robotics, leveraging a variety of modalities (images, video, text, audio, tactile, etc)
- Investigate paradigms that can deliver a spectrum of embodied behaviors - from simulated characters to real robots, and from short-horizon, low-level to long-horizon, high-level intelligence
- Develop algorithms based on state-of-the-art machine learning and neural network methodologies
- Define, build and benchmark new capabilities needed for the next generation of AI
- Conduct research towards long-term research goals while identifying intermediate milestones
- Lead, plan, and execute novel research based on long-term objectives of the organization
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- PhD degree in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Language, a related field, or equivalent practical experience
- 2+ years of industry experience in relevant robotics related research areas, such as: robot learning, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, action-conditioned world models, task and motion planning, sim-to-real transfer robotic control, manipulation, navigation, or generally embodied AI
- Experience with any of the following research areas: robotics, motion planning, embodied AI, human-robot interaction, sim-to-real transfer, learning from demonstration, reinforcement learning, dexterous manipulation, digital agents, vision language models, computer vision, egocentric perception, and/or LLMs
- Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proven track record of achieving significant results as demonstrated by grants, fellowships, patents, as well as publications at leading workshops, journals or conferences in Machine Learning (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR), Robotics (ICRA, IROS, RSS, CoRL), Computer Vision (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV)
- 5+ years of industry experience in relevant robotics related research areas, such as: robot learning, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, action-conditioned world models, task and motion planning, sim-to-real transfer robotic control, manipulation, navigation, or generally embodied AI
- Experience solving complex problems and comparing alternative solutions, tradeoffs, and different perspectives to determine a path forward
- Demonstrated research and software engineering experience via an internship, work experience, coding competitions, or widely used contributions in open source repositories (e.g. GitHub)
- Experience with robotics frameworks like ROS, along with experience working with robot simulations and real-world hardware
- Experience building systems based on machine learning and/or deep learning methods
- Experience with deep learning frameworks (such as pytorch, tensorflow) and Python
- Experience with manipulating and analyzing complex, large scale, high-dimensionality data from varying sources
- Experience working and communicating cross functionally in a team environment
About Meta:
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
$184,000/year to $257,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
See All 208+ AI Research Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find AI Research Engineer JobsAI Research Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
AI Research Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- ByteDance26
- Google15
- TikTok15
- Meta10
- Bosch7
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software31
- Science & Research13
- Manufacturing4
- Electronics & Hardware4
- Automotive3
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in AI research engineer jobs across California.
- Master's or PhD in computer science, machine learning, or a closely related field
- Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Experience designing and training large-scale neural networks or foundation models
- Strong publication record or demonstrated research contributions in a recognized AI subfield
- Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with product, data, and software engineering teams
- Familiarity with distributed computing environments and cloud-based ML infrastructure
AI Research Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a ai research engineer in California?
Most ai research engineers in California enter the field through a graduate degree in computer science, statistics, or a related discipline, typically at the master's or PhD level, from a California research university such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, or UC San Diego. California does not require a state-issued license for this role. A strong portfolio of published work, open-source contributions, or internship research at a Bay Area or Southern California lab is the most direct path to a full-time offer.
How much do AI research engineers make in California?
AI research engineers in California earn a median of about $159,100 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $88,920 for the lowest 10% to over $275,320 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire ai research engineers in California?
Employers hiring ai research engineers in California right now include ByteDance, Google, and TikTok, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. California's concentration of major tech headquarters, AI-focused startups, and defense research institutions means hiring is spread from the Bay Area down through Los Angeles and San Diego.
Which California cities have the most ai research engineer jobs?
San Jose, San Francisco, and Mountain View have the most ai research engineer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because it hosts the global headquarters of Google, Meta, Apple, and dozens of AI-native startups, while Los Angeles draws from a growing tech and entertainment-AI sector and San Diego benefits from Qualcomm, biotech firms, and defense research contractors that run active machine learning programs.
Are there remote ai research engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 34% of ai research engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how much of the work involves coding, experimentation, and model evaluation rather than on-site lab access. The most remote-friendly portions of the role tend to be applied research, model fine-tuning, and literature review, while roles requiring specialized compute clusters or collaborative whiteboarding often default to hybrid arrangements.
How can I get hired as a ai research engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a research internship or university research assistantship, ideally at a California institution with strong industry ties such as UC Berkeley's BAIR lab, Stanford HAI, or UCLA's Center for Vision, Cognition, Learning and Autonomy. Companies like Google, Meta, and Nvidia run structured research residency and university-grad programs that target candidates without full-time experience. Transitioning from a machine learning engineer, data scientist, or software engineer role at a California employer and gradually shifting toward research projects is another common route, with a strong GitHub portfolio and even one co-authored paper significantly improving your candidacy.
Where can I find and apply to ai research engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to ai research engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated regularly. Search the listings for roles that match your specialization and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 208+ AI Research Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find AI Research Engineer Jobs