Artificial Intelligence Scientist Jobs in California
Artificial Intelligence Scientist jobs in California sit at the center of one of the most active AI hiring markets in the world, with strong demand across technology, healthcare, defense, and autonomous systems from entry-level research roles through principal and distinguished scientist positions. Most openings concentrate in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Google, Meta, and Qualcomm maintain large AI research and applied science teams. The most in-demand specialties include large language model development, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Overview
Come join the AI Foundation as a Principal AI Scientist. The PDX AI Foundation team focuses on building capabilities that enable and accelerate AI development across Intuit. You will get the chance to lead the work to leverage the cutting-edge AI technologies at scale focusing on developing AI standards, evaluation methodologies and tools, as well as collaborate across organizations and functions with our partners in the engineering, product management, analytics and design departments to ensure that we are accelerating the work of developers across Intuit.
Responsibilities
- Practices leadership and communication skills to influence teams and to evangelize data science across the organization.
- Collaborates with stakeholders to define success criteria and align model metrics with business goals. Works side-by-side with product managers, software engineers, and designers in designing experiments and minimum viable products.
- Leads technical work of a scrum team: initiating and designing model solutions, driving end-to-end architecture designs of the team’s work, and holding the team accountable for high quality code, git, design, costs and implementation standards.
- Performs hands-on data analysis and modeling with large data sets, including discovering data sources, getting data access, cleaning up data, and making them “model-ready”. You need to be willing and able to do your own ETL and design/build featurization.
- Applies data mining, NLP, and machine learning (such as supervised/unsupervised, Causal-ML, Online Learning, Bayesian Learning, Reinforcement Learning, or Deep Learning) to real-world problems and datasets.
- Communicates with partners to ensure successful delivery and integration of DS solutions.
- Proactively researches, explores, and enables new ML technologies. Keeps up with the new developments in academia and industry and considers possible extensions to solve Intuit customer problems.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of industry experience with data science.
- BS, MS or PhD in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics, Operations Research, or equivalent experience.
- 8+ years of hands-on expertise in ML paradigms such as Causal-ML, supervised/unsupervised, Online, Bayesian, Reinforcement or Deep Learning.
- Proficient in multiple optimization paradigms such as combinatorial optimization, gradient methods, or Bayesian optimization.
- Proficient in NLP techniques, Explainable AI, and ML frameworks.
- Expertise in modern advanced analytical tools and programming languages such as Python, Scala, Java and/or R.
- Experience with building end-to-end reusable pipelines from data acquisition to model output delivery.
- Quick learner, adaptable, with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to conduct meetings and make professional presentations, and to explain complex concepts and technical material to non-technical users.
Intuit provides a competitive compensation package with a strong pay for performance rewards approach. This position will be eligible for a cash bonus, equity rewards and benefits, in accordance with our applicable plans and programs. Pay offered is based on factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and work location. To drive ongoing fair pay for employees, Intuit conducts regular comparisons across categories of ethnicity and gender. The expected base pay range for this position is: Bay Area California $273,500 - 369,500.
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Find JobsArtificial Intelligence Scientist Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Artificial Intelligence Scientist Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- TikTok51

- Amazon40

- Intuit23

- Apple21

- Meta15

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software222
- Electronics & Hardware39
- Artificial Intelligence38
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals28
- Healthcare & Medical Services16
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in artificial intelligence scientist jobs across California.
- PhD or master's degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related field
- Deep expertise in machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Demonstrated research experience with peer-reviewed publications or applied patents
- Proficiency in Python and experience with large-scale distributed training systems
- Ability to design, run, and interpret experiments on real-world datasets at scale
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills for working with product and engineering teams
Artificial Intelligence Scientist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become an artificial intelligence scientist in California?
There is no state-issued license required to work as an artificial intelligence scientist in California. The standard path is a graduate degree in computer science, statistics, or a closely related field, with a PhD preferred for research-track roles. California employers consistently prioritize a portfolio of published work, open-source contributions, or deployed model experience. Strong candidates from master's programs often enter through applied science roles at California technology companies before moving into scientist-level positions.
How much do artificial intelligence scientists make in California?
Artificial intelligence scientists 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 artificial intelligence scientists in California?
Employers hiring artificial intelligence scientists in California right now include TikTok, Amazon, and Intuit, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of AI-focused technology companies, defense contractors, and health technology firms means the hiring base is unusually broad compared with most other states.
Which California cities have the most artificial intelligence scientist jobs?
San Francisco, San Jose, and Sunnyvale lead California for artificial intelligence scientist openings. The Bay Area concentration reflects the headquarters density of major AI-native technology companies, while Los Angeles hiring is driven by entertainment technology, autonomous systems, and a growing cluster of AI startups, and San Diego openings are anchored by defense technology and biotech firms with applied AI research divisions.
Are there remote artificial intelligence scientist jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 20% of artificial intelligence scientist openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how much of the work involves model development, experimentation, and analysis that can be done independently. The parts of the role most likely to remain fully on-site are those requiring access to specialized compute clusters or close collaboration with hardware teams.
How can I get hired as an artificial intelligence scientist in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a research internship or PhD residency program, which California technology companies including Google, Meta, and Apple run specifically for doctoral students and recent graduates. Candidates without a PhD can target associate or junior machine learning engineer roles at mid-size California AI companies as a lateral entry point. Building a public portfolio of model experiments on open datasets, contributing to open-source frameworks, and presenting at academic venues recognizable to California hiring teams all strengthen a candidacy without requiring prior industry experience.
Where can I find and apply to artificial intelligence scientist jobs in California?
You can find and apply to artificial intelligence scientist jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across industries and experience levels. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listing.
See All 459+ Artificial Intelligence Scientist Jobs in California
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