Research Data Scientist Jobs in California
Research Data Scientist jobs in California are among the most actively recruited in the country, concentrated in biotechnology, technology, and academic research across experience levels from entry-level analyst to senior principal scientist. The largest hiring hubs are the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Los Angeles, home to major employers such as Genentech, Apple, and UCLA Health. The most in-demand specializations include machine learning research, computational biology, and large-scale statistical modeling. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 305+ Research Data Scientist jobs
INTRODUCTION
Our mission is to accelerate Google’s velocity by empowering developers with AI-ready knowledge, trusted content, and scaled and targeted enablement programs. We are looking for a Data Scientist (DS) who can work in a rapidly evolving tech landscape with novel methodologies, to generate actionable insights for product teams and leaders.
In this role, you will engage deeply with Google DeepMind and the core of Google’s AI capabilities. You will shape the investigative directions and strategies for Gemini, revealing actionable insights into how it integrates with Google’s complex software engineering ecosystem. Additionally, you will drive an understanding of how various agentic capabilities affect software and model development workflows, leveraging these insights to optimize complex systems at a Google scale.
Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
US: $262000 - $365000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + bonus + equity + benefits
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics, Economics, Operations Research, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
- 10 years of work experience using analytics to solve product or business problems, coding (e.g., Python, R, SQL), querying databases or statistical analysis, or 8 years of work experience with a PhD degree.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 12 years of work experience using analytics to solve product or business problems, coding (e.g., Python, R, SQL), querying databases or statistical analysis, or 10 years of work experience with a PhD degree.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with stakeholders in cross-projects and team settings to identify and clarify business or product questions to answer. Provide feedback to translate and refine business questions into tractable analysis, evaluation metrics, or mathematical models.
- Use custom data infrastructure or existing data models as appropriate, using specialized knowledge. Design and evaluate models to mathematically express and solve defined problems with limited precedent.
- Gather information, business goals, priorities, and organizational context around the questions to answer, as well as the existing and upcoming data infrastructure.
- Own the process of gathering, extracting, and compiling data across sources via relevant tools (e.g., SQL, R, Python). Format, re-structure, or validate data to ensure quality, and review the dataset to ensure it is ready for analysis.
Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.
INTRODUCTION
Our mission is to accelerate Google’s velocity by empowering developers with AI-ready knowledge, trusted content, and scaled and targeted enablement programs. We are looking for a Data Scientist (DS) who can work in a rapidly evolving tech landscape with novel methodologies, to generate actionable insights for product teams and leaders.
In this role, you will engage deeply with Google DeepMind and the core of Google’s AI capabilities. You will shape the investigative directions and strategies for Gemini, revealing actionable insights into how it integrates with Google’s complex software engineering ecosystem. Additionally, you will drive an understanding of how various agentic capabilities affect software and model development workflows, leveraging these insights to optimize complex systems at a Google scale.
Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
US: $262000 - $365000 (USD) + 25% bonus target + bonus + equity + benefits
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics, Economics, Operations Research, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
- 10 years of work experience using analytics to solve product or business problems, coding (e.g., Python, R, SQL), querying databases or statistical analysis, or 8 years of work experience with a PhD degree.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 12 years of work experience using analytics to solve product or business problems, coding (e.g., Python, R, SQL), querying databases or statistical analysis, or 10 years of work experience with a PhD degree.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with stakeholders in cross-projects and team settings to identify and clarify business or product questions to answer. Provide feedback to translate and refine business questions into tractable analysis, evaluation metrics, or mathematical models.
- Use custom data infrastructure or existing data models as appropriate, using specialized knowledge. Design and evaluate models to mathematically express and solve defined problems with limited precedent.
- Gather information, business goals, priorities, and organizational context around the questions to answer, as well as the existing and upcoming data infrastructure.
- Own the process of gathering, extracting, and compiling data across sources via relevant tools (e.g., SQL, R, Python). Format, re-structure, or validate data to ensure quality, and review the dataset to ensure it is ready for analysis.
Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.
See All 305+ Research Data Scientist Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Data Scientist JobsResearch Data Scientist Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Research Data Scientist Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- TikTok52
- ByteDance41
- Meta17
- NVIDIA16
- Nuro11
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software153
- Artificial Intelligence43
- Electronics & Hardware30
- Science & Research25
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals23
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in research data scientist jobs across California.
- Advanced degree in statistics, computer science, or a related quantitative field required
- Proficiency in Python and R for statistical modeling and data analysis
- Experience with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or scikit-learn
- Ability to design and execute independent research studies and publish findings
- Familiarity with large-scale data infrastructure including cloud platforms and SQL databases
- Strong written communication skills for presenting research to cross-functional stakeholders
Research Data Scientist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a research data scientist in California?
Most research data scientist roles in California require at least a master's degree, with many senior and research-track positions expecting a PhD in statistics, computer science, or a domain-specific field such as computational biology. California does not issue a state license for this role. Hiring in California's biotech corridor, academic medical centers, and major tech campuses strongly favors candidates with a published research record, demonstrated proficiency in Python or R, and hands-on experience with machine learning or statistical inference.
How much do research data scientists make in California?
Research data scientists in California earn a median of about $141,590 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $77,480 for the lowest 10% to over $224,920 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire research data scientists in California?
Employers hiring research data scientists in California right now include TikTok, ByteDance, and Meta, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of biotech firms in the Bay Area and San Diego, alongside major tech headquarters and university research centers, makes it one of the deepest hiring markets for this role in the country.
Which California cities have the most research data scientist jobs?
San Jose, San Francisco, and Mountain View have the most research data scientist openings in California. The San Francisco Bay Area leads because of its dense cluster of technology headquarters and life sciences campuses, San Diego draws heavily from its biotech and pharmaceutical research industry, and Los Angeles is driven by a mix of entertainment technology, health systems, and a growing startup ecosystem funding applied research roles.
Are there remote research data scientist jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 13% of research data scientist openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how much of the work centers on coding, modeling, and analysis that requires no physical lab. Fully remote arrangements are most common on the software and machine learning side of the role, while positions involving wet lab data, clinical trials, or collaborative research teams more often require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a research data scientist in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a research internship or graduate research assistantship, which California universities such as UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego offer in partnership with industry sponsors. Adjacent roles like data analyst, junior biostatistician, or research associate at California biotech or health-system employers provide a practical bridge. Building a public portfolio of reproducible research projects in Python or R, and contributing to open-source datasets, strengthens an application considerably when formal experience is limited.
Where can I find and apply to research data scientist jobs in California?
You can find and apply to research data scientist jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across industries including technology, biotechnology, healthcare, and academia. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 305+ Research Data Scientist Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Data Scientist Jobs