Research scientist job description: template and real figures
A template for hiring a research scientist, with what employers in today’s 907 open postings for this work ask for and offer. Copy it, fill in the brackets, then post the job free.
- Open postings today
- 907
- Experience asked, median
- 4 years
- Postings that state pay
- 55%
- Median advertised pay
- $250K
- Open to remote work
- 15%
Research Scientist [Company] · [City, or Remote and the countries it is open to] · [Full-time] About us [Two sentences: what the company does, for whom, and one number that shows where it is now.] About the role Our Research Scientist runs experiments and publishes or ships new methods, most often in AI. You will report to [manager’s title] and work with [team]. What you will do - [The most important result of the first year, with a number] - Experiment design: [what this means in your team] - Deep learning: [what this means in your team] - Scientific writing: [what this means in your team] - [One more duty that is specific to this job] What we are looking for - [4]+ years of experience as a research scientist - Experience with Python - Experience with Machine Learning - Experience with LLM - Experience with PyTorch - [One or two must-haves that are specific to this job] Pay and benefits - Pay range: $[lowest] – $[highest] a year, [plus equity or bonus if any] - Parental leave - Equity - Visa sponsorship - [Paid time off, health cover and the rest of your benefits] How to apply [What to send, the interview steps and how long they take. Name the date you will reply by.]
What today’s research scientist postings say
| Experience asked | Median 4 years; the middle half ask 2–5 years (279 postings name a number) |
|---|---|
| Pay advertised | $200K – $320K for the middle half; median $250K (459 postings with a yearly US-dollar range) |
| Skills named most | Python (53%), Machine Learning (45%), LLM (36%), PyTorch (33%) |
| Benefits named most | Parental leave (23%), Equity (19%), Visa sponsorship (16%) |
| Most common level | Senior (13% of postings) |
| Titles employers use | Research Engineer, Research Scientist, AI Research Engineer, Quantitative Researcher, Staff Applied Scientist, Senior Security Researcher |
Counted from the 907 open postings for this work on Nov 14, 2026, read from employers’ own careers pages. Recounted on every update.
Questions about hiring a research scientist
- What should a research scientist job description include?
- What the person will achieve in the first year, the duties, the must-have experience, the pay range and how the hiring steps work. For this work, today’s postings name Python, Machine Learning, LLM most often.
- Should a research scientist job posting show the salary?
- Yes, if you can: 55% of today’s 907 open research scientist postings here do. A range filters out people who would turn the offer down, and several US states and EU countries now require it.
- How many years of experience should I ask for?
- The median in today’s research scientist postings is 4 years. Ask for what the work needs: every extra year you require shrinks the pool of applicants.
Everything about research scientist work
See also: 907 open research scientist jobs · research scientist pay · how to hire a research scientist · all job description templates