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Applystead salaries · 86 posted pay ranges

AI Researcher salaries

Pay ranges employers published in 86 open job postings for AI Researcher roles at 39 companies, updated Nov 14, 2026.

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Posted base pay ranges from job listings, not total compensation. Figures are in USD; 3 more postings in CAD (median CA$166K), 2 more postings in AUD, 2 more postings in EUR. How these figures are made

Pay distribution

AI Researcher: postings by posted pay77 postings by the midpoint of their pay range, in 12 bands from $160K to $400K. Median $231K; middle half $190K–$300K.Median $231K$160K$400K

Postings per pay band: $160K–$180K: 14; $180K–$200K: 7; $200K–$220K: 9; $220K–$240K: 11; $240K–$260K: 7; $260K–$280K: 6; $280K–$300K: 3; $300K–$320K: 9; $320K–$340K: 5; $340K–$360K: 2; $360K–$380K: 0; $380K–$400K: 4.

Pay by level

  1. Entry level$206K median, $205K–$206K typical, 5 postingsEntry level: middle half $205K–$206K, median $206K
  2. Mid level$229K median, $169K–$265K typical, 37 postingsMid level: middle half $169K–$265K, median $229K
  3. Senior$231K median, $211K–$263K typical, 21 postingsSenior: middle half $211K–$263K, median $231K
  4. Staff$323K median, $323K–$353K typical, 4 postingsStaff: middle half $323K–$353K, median $323K
  5. Principal$301K median, $285K–$301K typical, 10 postingsPrincipal: middle half $285K–$301K, median $301K

Companies hiring

  1. Cisco$231K median, $211K–$249K typical, 12 postingsCisco: middle half $211K–$249K, median $231K
  2. Mercor$80.00/hr ($166K/yr) median, $80.00–$110.00/hr typical, 7 postingsMercor: middle half $80.00–$110.00/hr, median $80.00/hr ($166K/yr)
  3. Atlassian$206K median, $205K–$206K typical, 6 postingsAtlassian: middle half $205K–$206K, median $206K
  4. Harnham$400K median, $400K–$400K typical, 4 postingsHarnham: middle half $400K–$400K, median $400K

Top-paying companies

  1. Harnham · $400K median, 4 postings
  2. The Biological Computing Co. (TBC) · $323K median, 3 postings
  3. Dolby Laboratories · $301K median, 4 postings
  4. Ivo · $263K median, 3 postings

By location

  1. United States$231K median, $190K–$300K typical, 69 postingsUnited States: middle half $190K–$300K, median $231K
  2. California$260K median, $208K–$301K typical, 41 postingsCalifornia: middle half $208K–$301K, median $260K
  3. San Francisco, CA$263K median, $229K–$353K typical, 20 postingsSan Francisco, CA: middle half $229K–$353K, median $263K
  4. Santa Clara, CA$189K median, $169K–$190K typical, 7 postingsSanta Clara, CA: middle half $169K–$190K, median $189K
  5. Remote$206K median, $176K–$229K typical, 22 postingsRemote: middle half $176K–$229K, median $206K

Remote vs on-site

Remote: $206K median, $176K–$229K typical, from 19 postings. On-site: $250K median, $208K–$301K typical, from 47 postings.

Newest AI Researcher postings

  1. AI Researcher (PhD), 2027 Graduate U.S.Atlassian · Remote · $178K–$233K/yr · Posted Nov 13, 2026
  2. AI Researcher - Fully Remote | Upto $120/hrMercor · Remote · $100.00–$120.00/hr · Posted Nov 13, 2026
  3. AI Researcher - Fully Remote | Upto $120/hrMercor · Remote · $100.00–$120.00/hr · Posted Nov 11, 2026
  4. AI ResearcherRadixArk · $200K–$400K/yr · Posted Nov 11, 2026
  5. AI ResearcherRadixArk · Palo Alto, CA · $200K–$400K/yr · Posted Nov 11, 2026Apply
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Questions and answers

How much does a AI Researcher make?

The median posted base pay for AI Researcher jobs is $231K a year, from 86 job postings with pay at 39 companies.

What is the typical AI Researcher pay range?

The middle half of postings list $190K–$300K. The top 10% list $330K a year or more, and the lowest 10% $166K or less.

Which companies pay the most for AI Researcher jobs?

By median posted pay: Harnham ($400K), The Biological Computing Co. (TBC) ($323K), Dolby Laboratories ($301K).

How does AI Researcher pay change with level?

Median posted pay by level read from job titles: Entry level $206K, Mid level $229K, Senior $231K, Staff $323K, Principal $301K.

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