AI Research Scientist salary in California
A real-employer view of AI Research Scientist pay, clustered from DOL OFLC certified filings. Variants like Senior, Lead, and II/III titles fold into this cluster — the wage range below reflects all of them.
AI Research Scientist in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 19 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $215,658. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 1 | $165,850 |
| Level II — qualified | 7 | $200,000 |
| Level III — experienced | 5 | $222,950 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 3 | $300,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for AI Research Scientist in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings. Click a company for its full H-1B salary breakdown.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms, Inc | AI Research Scientist | 15 | $218,402 |
| Chai Research Corp | AI Research Scientist | 1 | $300,000 |
| Earth Species Project | Senior AI Research Scientist | 1 | $165,850 |
| RANDSTAD DIGITAL, LLC | AI Research Scientist | 1 | $200,000 |
| Sailplane PBC | AI Research Scientist | 1 | $179,837 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- AI Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$200,439Menlo ParkWage Level IIDecided Mar 31, 2026I-200-26083-724302
- AI Research Scientist at Chai Research Corp$300,000Palo AltoWage Level IVDecided Mar 4, 2026I-200-26056-663257
- AI Research Scientist at RANDSTAD DIGITAL, LLC$200,000IrvineWage Level IIDecided Jun 9, 2025I-200-25153-041507
- Senior AI Research Scientist at Earth Species Project$165,850San FranciscoWage Level IDecided May 16, 2025I-200-25129-958020
- AI Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$193,000Menlo ParkWage Level IIDecided May 16, 2025I-200-25129-956946
- AI Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$214,032BurlingameWage Level IIIDecided May 5, 2025I-200-25118-909646
- AI Research Scientist at Sailplane PBC$179,837San FranciscoWage Level IIDecided Apr 15, 2025I-200-25098-841253
- AI Research Scientist at Meta Platforms, Inc$215,658SunnyvaleDecided Mar 7, 2025I-200-25059-731998
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.