Senior Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary in Seattle, WA
Based on 117 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $211,058 |
| 25th | $214,178 |
| 50th (median) | $215,000 |
| 75th | $225,000 |
| 90th | $249,312 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $160,000 | $157,396 | $166,650 | 81 |
| FY2021 | $160,000 | $151,807 | $161,136 | 104 |
| FY2022 | $160,000 | $159,635 | $182,274 | 166 |
| FY2023 | $198,141 | $183,189 | $205,485 | 110 |
| FY2024 | $203,408 | $198,141 | $213,135 | 96 |
| FY2025 | $214,311 | $211,058 | $225,000 | 57 |
| FY2026 | $217,800 | $214,178 | $224,198 | 60 |
Cost of living
Seattle's median senior Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary of $215,000 is worth about $193,500 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 $215,000, 2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $214,178 | 47 |
| Meta | $214,656 | 16 |
| NVIDIA | $212,618 | 12 |
| Tencent America | $220,000 | 10 |
| Microsoft | too few | 5 |
| too few | 2 | |
| Adobe | too few | 2 |
| Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence | too few | 2 |
| Block | too few | 2 |
| Toyota Research Institute | 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.