ML Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

ML Software Engineer jobs in Virginia are in high demand, with strong hiring concentrated in defense contracting, federal IT services, and commercial cloud infrastructure, drawing candidates from entry-level associate roles through principal and staff engineers. Northern Virginia anchors the market as one of the most active ml hiring corridors in the country, with Reston, McLean, and Arlington home to major employers including Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Amazon Web Services. The most sought-after specialties in Virginia listings are computer vision, natural language processing, and MLOps engineering. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find ML Software Engineer Jobs

Overview

Open roles7
Top employerDraper
Top cityReston, VA
Cities hiring4
Work type50% Remote
Top credentialBachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Showing 5 of 7+ ML Software Engineer jobs

Workday
Software Development Engineer - ML Ops (US Federal)
We won't show you this job again
Workday
Added 3d ago
Software Development Engineer - ML Ops (US Federal)
Workday
Reston, Virginia
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
ML (Machine Learning)
Software Engineering
$148k - $264k/yr
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

Draper
Software Machine Learning Engineer MTS1
We won't show you this job again
Draper
Added 5d ago
Software Machine Learning Engineer MTS1
Draper
Reston, Virginia
Backend Engineering
Cybersecurity
Security Engineering
Software Engineering
$63k - $140k/yr
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

Draper
Software Machine Learning Engineer SMTS
We won't show you this job again
Draper
Added 5d ago
Software Machine Learning Engineer SMTS
Draper
Reston, Virginia
Data Analytics
Data Science
Research & Academia
$82k - $220k/yr
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

HII
Software Machine Learning Engineer 1 (29937)
We won't show you this job again
HII
Added 3w ago
Software Machine Learning Engineer 1 (29937)
HII
Newport News, Virginia
Consulting & Professional Services
Software Engineering
Solutions Engineering & Architecture
Technical Program Management
$75k - $86k/yr
High school diploma or GED
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

Booz Allen Hamilton
AI and ML Software Engineer
We won't show you this job again
Booz Allen Hamilton
Added 2mo ago
AI and ML Software Engineer
Booz Allen Hamilton
McLean, Virginia
Software Engineering
Systems Administration
Technical Program Management
$99k - $225k/yr
On-Site
Master's degree
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

See All 7 ML Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find ML Software Engineer Jobs

ML Software Engineer Jobs by City in Virginia

Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Reston
4 jobs
McLean
1 job
Springfield
1 job
Newport News
1 job

ML Software Engineer Job Market in Virginia

A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

Draper
Draper2 open roles
HII
HII1 open role
TIAG
TIAG1 open role

What Virginia Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in ML software engineer jobs across Virginia.

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, machine learning, or a closely related field
  • Proficiency in Python and machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch
  • Experience designing, training, and deploying models in production environments
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms, particularly AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
  • Active or obtainable U.S. security clearance, required by many Virginia defense contractors
  • Strong understanding of MLOps practices including model monitoring, versioning, and CI/CD pipelines

ML Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a ml software engineer in Virginia?

There is no state-issued license required to work as an ml software engineer in Virginia. The standard path is a bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, or a related field, followed by hands-on experience with machine learning frameworks and cloud platforms. Virginia's large defense and federal IT sector means that obtaining a security clearance early, often through an employer-sponsored investigation, significantly broadens the roles available to you.

How much do ML software engineers make in Virginia?

ML software engineers in Virginia earn a median of about $136,460 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $83,350 for the lowest 10% to over $211,930 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire ml software engineers in Virginia?

Employers hiring ml software engineers in Virginia right now include Draper, HII, and TIAG, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Virginia's concentration of defense primes, federal agencies, and hyperscale cloud infrastructure operators means hiring tends to be consistent across both commercial and government-adjacent roles.

Which Virginia cities have the most ml software engineer jobs?

The Virginia cities with the most ml software engineer openings are Reston, McLean, and Springfield. Northern Virginia dominates because it houses the headquarters or major campuses of leading defense contractors and is home to one of the world's largest data center clusters, which drives sustained demand from cloud and infrastructure teams operating out of Reston, McLean, and Arlington.

Are there remote ml software engineer jobs in Virginia?

Yes, and more than most fields. About 50% of ml software engineer openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how naturally this work adapts to distributed environments. Model development, experimentation, and data pipeline work are the portions most commonly done fully remote, while roles tied to classified government contracts typically require on-site presence.

How can I get hired as a ml software engineer in Virginia with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path is through a junior or associate machine learning engineer role at a Virginia-based federal contractor or commercial tech firm. Booz Allen Hamilton and Leidos both run structured new-graduate programs and internship pipelines that convert into full-time positions. Building a portfolio of end-to-end projects on public datasets, earning a cloud certification from AWS or Google Cloud, and targeting roles titled 'associate data scientist' or 'junior ML engineer' are the credentials that move a resume past the screening stage.

Where can I find and apply to ml software engineer jobs in Virginia?

You can find and apply to ml software engineer jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current Virginia openings updated regularly. Find roles that match your experience and apply directly to the ones that fit.

See All 7 ML Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find ML Software Engineer Jobs