96 OPEN
SALARIES · RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Research Scientist [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for research scientist roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$245,000 – $315,000USD
§ 01
Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$175K
[ SENIOR ]
$245K
[ STAFF ]
$315K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$400K
§ 02
Top-paid open roles
- 01
Research Scientist, Robot Foundation ModelsWayve·Sunnyvale, California USA$370K–$513K - 02Applied Scientist / Machine Learning EngineerWayve·Sunnyvale, California USA$312K–$420K
- 03Machine Learning Scientist/EngineerWayve·Sunnyvale, California USA$311K–$420K
- 04Senior Research Scientist - Autonomous VehiclesNVIDIA·US, CA, Santa Clara$192K–$357K
- 05Robotics Research Engineer - Robot Simulation and EvaluationNVIDIA·US, CA, Santa Clara$184K–$357K
- 06Senior Research Engineer - Autonomous VehiclesNVIDIA·US, CA, Santa Clara$184K–$357K
- 07
Senior Staff Data Scientist, RoboticsAgility Robotics·Remote$218K–$340K - 08
Lead Scientist, Strategic DefenseAnduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, United States$253K–$336K - 09Staff Data Scientist - Behavior EvaluationZoox·Foster City, CA$256K–$307K
- 101Research Engineer, Robot Learning1X Technologies·San Carlos, CA$130K–$300K
§ 03
Top employers hiring research scientists
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Waabi | 12 | $212K |
| NVIDIA | 11 | $220K |
| Anduril Industries | 11 | $193K |
| Wayve | 8 | $366K |
| Zoox | 7 | $198K |
| Nuro | 5 | $230K |
| 1X Technologies | 4 | $225K |
| Boston Dynamics | 3 | $178K |
§ 04
Top cities hiring research scientists
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| US | 12 | $228K |
| Toronto | 10 | $212K |
| Mountain View | 8 | $225K |
| Sunnyvale | 6 | $366K |
| Foster City | 5 | $222K |
| Broomfield | 4 | $207K |
| Palo Alto | 4 | $197K |
| San Carlos | 4 | $225K |
§ 05
FAQ
- How much do research scientists make in the robotics industry?
- Senior research scientists in the robotics industry typically earn $245K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $315K and principal-level reach $400K. Numbers are median base salary across 78 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private robotics employers.
- Who is hiring the most research scientists right now?
- Waabi (12 open roles), NVIDIA (11 open roles), and Anduril Industries (11 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 96 open research scientist roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most research scientist jobs located?
- The top robotics industry hubs for research scientist roles right now are US, Toronto, and Mountain View. Defense robotics tends to concentrate in DC/Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs (clearance-required roles), while commercial launch is heaviest in LA basin and Florida's Space Coast.
- Do research scientist roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy require security clearance?
- Many do. Defense robotics programs at Anduril, Shield AI, Saronic, and defense primes require Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Commercial robotics roles at Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, 1X, Skydio, and Wayve generally do not. ITAR registration is more common than clearance — many sensor, autonomy, and unmanned-systems roles require it.
§ 06
Browse every research scientist role