AI Research Scientist.
Los Angeles.
$165,000
median salary, 17% above the national average
$113,000 to $218,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
AI Research Scientist pay in Los Angeles ranges from $113,000 to $218,000 in 2026. The median is $165,000, 17% above the national average. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for AI Research Scientist in Los Angeles, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $155,960 for Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 940 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$81,450
25th percentile
$104,470
Median
$155,960
75th percentile
$189,260
90th percentile
$227,300
Workers surveyed
940
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) rather than AI Research Scientist specifically. The Los Angeles range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1221Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $149,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$107,000
to $132,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$140,000
to $173,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$182,000
to $215,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$206,000
to $256,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $81,000 to the total package.
Base
$165,000
Equity
$50,000
Bonus
$21,000
Signing
$10,000
Estimated total: $246,000
AI Research Scientist salary by company.
Total compensation estimates include base, equity, bonus, and signing. Ranges reflect mid to senior level. Derived from public H-1B LCA filings (DOL).
How Los Angeles compares.
Los Angeles, CA
$165,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$141,000
Los Angeles is $24,000 above
AI Research Scientist salary by city.
Salary by role in Los Angeles.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for AI Research Scientist roles in Los Angeles, here is what you are walking into. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. Publication record at top venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR), novelty of research contributions, and ability to translate research into product impact are the primary factors. Scientists with foundational contributions to active areas like alignment, scaling laws, or multimodal learning are exceptionally sought after. The scarcity of qualified researchers keeps competition for talent intense.
Research scientists (with PhD) start at $150,000 to $200,000, reaching senior scientist at $220,000 to $300,000 in three to five years. Staff research scientists earn $300,000 to $450,000. Distinguished scientists and research directors at leading labs can exceed $600,000 to $1,000,000+ in total compensation. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at AI labs can represent 40 to 60% of total compensation, with grants of $100,000 to $300,000+ annually at top labs. Bonuses of 20 to 30% are common. Benefits include generous compute budgets, sabbatical programs, publication incentives, and funding for personal research agendas. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $165,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for AI Research Scientists in Los Angeles runs from $113,000 to $218,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An AI Data Engineer in Los Angeles earns $164,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Los Angeles is CTO at $368,000
- See all ai research roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
AI Research Scientist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Los Angeles.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"AI Research Scientist Salary in Los Angeles, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ai-research-scientist/los-angeles
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