Applied Scientist Jobs in Minnesota
Applied Scientist jobs in Minnesota concentrate in healthcare technology, financial services, and enterprise software, with the Twin Cities metro anchoring the state's demand across every seniority level from entry-level research positions to principal and staff scientist roles. Minneapolis and Saint Paul together form one of the most active markets in the Midwest, with Rochester and Bloomington also generating consistent openings. Well-established employers such as UnitedHealth Group, 3M, and Optum have deep applied scientist hiring pipelines in Minnesota, particularly in machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Applied Scientist JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 10+ Applied Scientist jobs











Date: Aug 19, 2026
Location(s): St. Paul, MN, US, 55107
#job-location.job-location-inline { display: inline; }
Company: NextEra Energy
Requisition ID: 96944
NextEra Analytics offers energy consulting services using industry-leading scientific analysis for planning, siting, forecasting and optimizing all forms of energy projects. Our optimization and analytics platforms integrate open-source technologies to leverage massive, diverse sets of utility operating data. This enables rapid development of operational solutions. Applying expertise in advanced mathematics, data and physical sciences, we solve some of the hardest problems facing the energy industry.
Position Specific Description
NextEra Analytics is seeking an Applied Scientist II to join our innovative Applied Science team, where we tackle the renewable energy industry's most challenging and novel problems by seamlessly blending physical science expertise with cutting-edge advanced analytics and AI to develop breakthrough solutions. As part of NextEra Energy—the world's largest renewable energy fleet operator—you'll drive value-add research and development that directly supports business objectives through timely, accurate results. Working at the intersection of renewable energy physics and data science, you'll develop sophisticated analytical models that design, forecast, optimize, and enhance our wind, solar, storage, and transmission operations. This role combines deep scientific understanding with statistical modeling, AI, and software engineering to solve complex, interdisciplinary challenges that have no industry precedent, contributing to innovative solutions that advance NextEra's competitive advantage while helping shape the future of clean energy. This position is fully onsite in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Job Overview
This job develops, validates, and applies advanced scientific and analytical models to solve complex, novel problems across renewable energy generation, storage, and transmission in order to drive strategic business value. Employees in this role lead applied research and development efforts by integrating physical science expertise with advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and statistical modeling to deliver timely, accurate insights that support operational and planning decisions. This job designs, forecasts, optimizes, and enhances wind, solar, energy storage, and transmission operations by translating interdisciplinary scientific concepts into scalable, production-ready analytical solutions. Employees in this role exercise technical leadership, influence solution design, and collaborate across disciplines to address challenges without industry precedent while advancing competitive advantage and the future of clean energy.
Job Duties & Responsibilities
Conduct applied research and development in small, collaborative teams to solve complex energy-related problems using physical science and advanced mathematical approaches
Design and develop optimization solutions and AI/ML models for renewable energy challenges, creating proof-of-concept prototypes and predictive analytics to extract actionable insights from large datasets
Write and maintain code in R, Python, Julia, or similar languages to support research deliverables and analytical workflows
Contribute to product development through structured research initiatives, collaborating cross-functionally with software engineering, product, and customer teams to deliver solutions that meet business objectives
Provide analytical and scientific support to internal teams and senior colleagues on ad hoc challenges, non-standard analytics requests, and workflow problem-solving as business needs arise
Performs other job-related duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Experience: 3+ years
Preferred Qualifications
Experience: 5+ years
NextEra Energy offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees and their eligible family members.
Employee Group: Exempt
Employee Type: Full Time
Job Category: Science, Research, and Technology
Organization: NextEra Analytics, Inc
Relocation Provided: Yes, if applicable
NextEra Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, age, national origin, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetics, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law.
NextEra Energy provides reasonable accommodation in its application and selection process for qualified individuals, including accommodations related to compliance with conditional job offer requirements, consistent with federal, state, and local laws. Supporting medical or religious documentation will be required where applicable and permitted by applicable law. To request a reasonable accommodation, please send an e-mail to recruiting-coordinator.sharedmailbox@nexteraenergy.com, providing your name, telephone number and the best time for us to reach you.
NextEra Energy will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
NextEra Energy does not accept any unsolicited resumes or referrals from any third-party recruiting firms or agencies.
Nearest Major Market: Minneapolis
a.dialogApplyBtn { display: none; }
See All 10 Applied Scientist Jobs in Minnesota
Find roles in Minnesota that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Applied Scientist JobsApplied Scientist Jobs by City in Minnesota
Where Minnesota roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Applied Scientist Job Market in Minnesota
A snapshot from current Minnesota openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Technology & Software
What Minnesota Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in applied scientist jobs across Minnesota.
- Master's or PhD in computer science, statistics, or a related quantitative field
- Proficiency in Python, R, or Scala for building and deploying production models
- Experience designing and evaluating machine learning or deep learning systems
- Ability to work with large-scale structured and unstructured datasets using cloud platforms
- Strong communication skills to present technical findings to non-technical stakeholders
- Familiarity with MLOps practices including model versioning, monitoring, and deployment pipelines
Applied Scientist Jobs in Minnesota: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a applied scientist in Minnesota?
Applied scientists in Minnesota are not required to hold a state-issued license, but employers consistently expect a graduate degree in a quantitative discipline such as computer science, statistics, applied mathematics, or engineering. Most candidates build their path through a master's or doctoral program at institutions like the University of Minnesota or Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, followed by research internships or industry fellowships that produce a demonstrable portfolio of deployed models or published work.
How much do applied scientists make in Minnesota?
Applied scientists in Minnesota earn a median of about $128,800 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $65,730 for the lowest 10% to over $179,640 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire applied scientists in Minnesota?
Minnesota applied scientist roles are posted by Optum, Target, and NextEra Energy and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Minnesota's concentration of healthcare technology and financial services firms means a significant share of these openings focus on predictive modeling, clinical AI, and risk analytics.
Which Minnesota cities have the most applied scientist jobs?
Eden Prairie, Eagan, and Saint Paul account for the largest share of applied scientist openings in Minnesota. The Twin Cities metro drives the majority of demand because UnitedHealth Group, Optum, and 3M headquarters are located there, while Rochester's concentration around Mayo Clinic and its affiliated technology partners sustains a steady pipeline of health-focused applied science roles.
Are there remote applied scientist jobs in Minnesota?
Yes, and more than most fields. Applied scientist work is primarily analytical and can be performed remotely where data infrastructure is cloud-based. About 60% of applied scientist openings tied to Minnesota are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting the desk-based nature of the role. Positions involving embedded research teams or close collaboration with clinical or hardware groups tend to require more on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a applied scientist in Minnesota with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a research internship or co-op with a Minnesota employer during a graduate program, which frequently converts to a full-time offer. UnitedHealth Group and Optum run structured new-graduate programs that place candidates into junior applied scientist roles, and 3M recruits research associates who transition into applied science tracks. Candidates moving laterally from data analyst or data engineer roles strengthen their case by completing public projects that demonstrate model-building end to end, particularly in healthcare or financial data.
Where can I find and apply to applied scientist jobs in Minnesota?
You can find and apply to applied scientist jobs in Minnesota on Migrate Mate, which lists current Minnesota openings updated regularly. Search the listings to see roles that match your experience level and specialty, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 10 Applied Scientist Jobs in Minnesota
Find roles in Minnesota that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Applied Scientist Jobs