AI Research Scientist.
Philadelphia.
$160,000
median salary, 13% above the national average
$110,000 to $212,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an AI Research Scientist offer in Philadelphia, PA, here is the reality: $110,000 to $212,000, with $160,000 as the midpoint. 13% above the national average. Publication record at top venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR), novelty of research contributions, and ability to translate research into product impact are the primary factors. Do not accept the first number. 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 Philadelphia, 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 $125,320 for Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 350 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$79,160
25th percentile
$101,040
Median
$125,320
75th percentile
$142,130
90th percentile
$175,420
Workers surveyed
350
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $160,000 is 28% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Computer and Information Research Scientists covers a different population than the AI Research Scientist title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
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 Philadelphiarange 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 $144,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$104,000
to $128,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$136,000
to $168,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$176,000
to $208,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$200,000
to $248,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $79,000 to the total package.
Base
$160,000
Equity
$48,000
Bonus
$21,000
Signing
$10,000
Estimated total: $239,000
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 Philadelphia compares.
Philadelphia, PA
$160,000
Cost of living: 9% above average
National Average
$141,000
Philadelphia is $19,000 above
AI Research Scientist salary by city.
Salary by role in Philadelphia.
What you should know.
The AI Research Scientist landscape in Philadelphia is not what most salary sites will tell you. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. The city's pharmaceutical corridor is among the strongest in the country. Tech growth has accelerated, particularly in health tech and enterprise software, offering salaries that stretch further than in nearby New York. 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 Philadelphia, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
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: pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax, but Philadelphia adds a 3.75% city wage tax for residents. This combined local burden is worth factoring into salary negotiations. When someone quotes you $160,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Account for the Philadelphia wage tax in your ask. Request a 5 to 8% premium over suburban offers to offset the city's local tax on all earned income. The range for AI Research Scientists in Philadelphia runs from $110,000 to $212,000. 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 NLP Research Scientist in Philadelphia earns $157,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Philadelphia is CTO at $314,000
- See all ai research roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
AI Research Scientist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Philadelphia.
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