Research Scientist Jobs in San Diego, CA

Research Scientist jobs in San Diego are in strong demand, concentrated in Torrey Pines, Sorrento Valley, and the UTC corridor across biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, and defense research. Employers hiring right now include ByteDance, UC San Diego, and ASML. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.

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Overview

Open roles340+
Top employerByteDance
Work type60% On-site
Top credentialDoctoral degree in Computer Science
Companies hiring9

Showing 5 of 340+ Research Scientist jobs

ByteDance
Research Scientist Graduate (Video Codec Algorithm) - 2026 Start (PhD)
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ByteDance
Added 4d ago
Research Scientist Graduate (Video Codec Algorithm) - 2026 Start (PhD)
ByteDance
San Diego, California
Business Analysis
Consulting & Professional Services
$154k - $301k/yr
Doctoral degree in Computer Science
10,000+

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San Diego State University
Research Scientist II
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San Diego State University
Added 5d ago
Research Scientist II
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
Healthcare Administration
Patient Services & Wellbeing
Physical Therapy
Doctoral degree
1,001-5,000

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ByteDance
Research Scientist Graduate (Multimedia Streaming) - 2027 Start (PhD)
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ByteDance
Added 1w ago
Research Scientist Graduate (Multimedia Streaming) - 2027 Start (PhD)
ByteDance
San Diego, California
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
ML (Machine Learning)
Software Engineering
$123k - $301k/yr
Doctoral degree in Computer Science
10,000+

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ASML
Senior Scientist - EUV Research
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ASML
Added 2w ago
Senior Scientist - EUV Research
ASML
San Diego, California
Customer Service
Customer Support
$118k - $177k/yr
Master's degree in mechanical engineering
10,000+

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ByteDance
Research Scientist Intern (Multimedia Streaming) - 2027 Start (PhD)
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ByteDance
Added 2w ago
Research Scientist Intern (Multimedia Streaming) - 2027 Start (PhD)
ByteDance
San Diego, California
Business Analysis
Product Management
Project Management
On-Site
10,000+

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See All 340+ Research Scientist Jobs in San Diego

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Research Scientist Job Market in San Diego

Who's Hiring

  • ByteDance
    ByteDance100
  • UC San Diego
    UC San Diego100
  • ASML
    ASML20
  • Intuit
    Intuit20
  • Qualcomm
    Qualcomm20

Top Industries Hiring

  • Education40
  • Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals40
  • Telecommunications20
  • Technology & Software20
  • Electronics & Hardware20

Research Scientist Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a research scientist job in San Diego?

Target San Diego's dense biotech and pharma corridor, which runs from Torrey Pines through Sorrento Valley and into the Miramar area, where the highest concentration of research openings sits. Defense contractors in the Kearny Mesa and Chula Vista areas also hire steadily. Candidates who hold domain expertise in oncology, immunology, or materials science, and who have publications or patent contributions, tend to move faster through hiring pipelines in this market.

Which companies hire research scientists in San Diego?

San Diego research scientist roles are posted by ByteDance, UC San Diego, and ASML and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. The local employer mix skews heavily toward publicly traded biotech firms, large pharmaceutical companies with San Diego campuses, and federally funded research institutes concentrated along the North City corridor.

Are there remote research scientist jobs in San Diego?

Yes, though it depends heavily on the role: hands-on lab and wet-science positions are almost always on-site, while computational, bioinformatics, and regulatory research roles are far more likely to offer flexibility. About 40% of research scientist openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of August 2026. Data science and modeling-focused roles within San Diego's biotech sector represent the largest share of those flexible arrangements.

How can I get a research scientist job in San Diego with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path in San Diego is a postdoctoral appointment at one of the area's research institutions, including the Salk Institute, Scripps Research, or UC San Diego, which regularly place early-career scientists into industry roles nearby. Associate scientist and research associate positions at mid-size biotech companies in Sorrento Valley are also common first steps. Hands-on internship experience and a strong research portfolio developed during a graduate program give candidates a concrete edge in local screening processes.

Which industries hire the most research scientists in San Diego?

Most research scientist openings in San Diego sit in Education, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, and Telecommunications, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. San Diego's status as one of the country's largest biotech clusters, anchored by decades of investment from institutions like the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and a deep pipeline of early-stage startups, drives that industry concentration.

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