Machine Learning Researcher.
Newark.
$171,000
median salary, 21% above the national average
$118,000 to $227,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Newark is 18% more expensive than the national average. For Machine Learning Researchers, that shakes out to a median of $171,000, with the full range spanning $118,000 to $227,000. Publication record in top-tier venues like NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR is the strongest salary differentiator. Know the range before you walk in. 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 Machine Learning Researcher in Newark, 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 $170,890 for Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, based on 2,100 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$94,550
25th percentile
$129,990
Median
$170,890
75th percentile
$252,670
90th percentile
$314,130
Workers surveyed
2,100
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 Machine Learning Researcher specifically. The Newark range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such. Newark is reported by BLS within the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1221Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $154,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$111,000
to $137,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$145,000
to $180,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$188,000
to $222,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$214,000
to $265,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $71,000 to the total package.
Base
$171,000
Equity
$43,000
Bonus
$18,000
Signing
$10,000
Estimated total: $242,000
How Newark compares.
Newark, NJ
$171,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$141,000
Newark is $30,000 above
Machine Learning Researcher salary by city.
Salary by role in Newark.
What you should know.
Here is what the Machine Learning Researcher market actually looks like in Newark. Newark is experiencing a major revitalization, anchored by Prudential Financial, Audible, and a growing tech and startup scene. The city's proximity to Manhattan, combined with significantly lower office costs, has attracted companies seeking New York area talent at reduced overhead. Transportation, pharmaceutical, and logistics companies also have a strong presence. Publication record in top-tier venues like NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR is the strongest salary differentiator. Researchers with first-author papers at these conferences command 15 to 25% premiums. Industry labs at major tech firms pay significantly more than academic positions or smaller startups.
Research interns start at $45,000 to $65,000 for summer positions. Junior researchers earn $140,000 to $170,000, while senior researchers reach $200,000 to $280,000. Principal researchers and research directors at major labs can exceed $400,000 in base salary alone. In Newark, 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. Total compensation at top labs often doubles base salary through equity grants and annual bonuses of 20 to 40%. Many positions include conference travel budgets, compute credits, and sabbatical programs for independent research. And on the tax side: new Jersey's top income tax rate is 10.75%, one of the highest in the nation. Newark has a payroll tax but no separate city income tax. The high state rate makes salary negotiation critical. When someone quotes you $171,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate aggressively to account for New Jersey's high state taxes. Employers near NYC understand the tax burden and often adjust compensation upward for NJ-based talent. The range for Machine Learning Researchers in Newark runs from $118,000 to $227,000. 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 Research Scientist in Newark earns $173,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Newark is CTO at $354,000
- See all ai research roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
Machine Learning Researcher salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Newark.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Machine Learning Researchers in Newark.
Related tools.
Do you work as a machine learning researcher in Newark?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Machine Learning Researcher Salary in Newark, NJ." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/machine-learning-researcher/newark
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools