Expert Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary in Seattle, WA
Based on 77 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell, Shoreline.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Researcher
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $245,565 |
| 25th | $250,370 |
| 50th (median) | $258,826 |
| 75th | $298,000 |
| 90th | $354,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $193,050 | $181,300 | $205,000 | 45 |
| FY2021 | $188,000 | $170,000 | $207,728 | 85 |
| FY2022 | $187,060 | $178,350 | $206,239 | 72 |
| FY2023 | $229,000 | $215,044 | $250,675 | 30 |
| FY2024 | $260,000 | $245,588 | $277,500 | 11 |
| FY2025 | $255,309 | $245,565 | $272,000 | 44 |
| FY2026 | $265,920 | $250,370 | $300,000 | 33 |
Cost of living
Seattle's median expert Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary of $258,826 is worth about $232,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Seattle = 111.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer and Information Research Scientists in the Seattle, WA area earned a median of $211,270 in May 2025 (1,620 employed). The H-1B median here is $258,826, 23% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $255,617 | 15 |
| ByteDance | $333,000 | 11 |
| Amazon | too few | 9 |
| NVIDIA | too few | 8 |
| Microsoft | too few | 3 |
| TikTok | too few | 2 |
| Mistral AI | too few | 2 |
| Nuance Labs | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $160,000 | 182 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $185,000 | 329 |
| Senior · Level III | $215,000 | 117 |
| Expert · Level IV | $258,826 | 77 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $142,064 | $160,000 | 182 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $178,006 | $185,000 | 329 |
| Senior · Level III | $214,178 | $215,000 | 117 |
| Expert · Level IV | $250,370 | $258,826 | 77 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.