Computer and Information Research Scientists
Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.
Also called: Computer Scientist · Computer Specialist · Control System Computer Scientist · Research Scientist · Scientific Programmer Analyst
Median pay (national)
$140,910
$80,670–$232,120 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
38,480
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+19.7%
~3,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Master's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for computer and information research scientists shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $232,120 versus $80,670 at the bottom 10% — 2.9x. The median of $140,910 leaves roughly 65% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +19.7% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 3,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 39 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $221,990, +58% vs the national median), while Kentucky sits lowest at $82,860 — a 168% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Amazon Web Services AWS SageMaker, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Ansible software, Apache Hadoop as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Science
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Analyze problems to develop solutions involving computer hardware and software.
- Apply theoretical expertise and innovation to create or apply new technology, such as adapting principles for applying computers to new uses.
- Conduct logical analyses of business, scientific, engineering, and other technical problems, formulating mathematical models of problems for solution by computers.
- Participate in multidisciplinary projects in areas such as virtual reality, human-computer interaction, or robotics.
- Consult with users, management, vendors, and technicians to determine computing needs and system requirements.
- Develop and interpret organizational goals, policies, and procedures.
- Assign or schedule tasks to meet work priorities and goals.
- Meet with managers, vendors, and others to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
- Design computers and the software that runs them.
- Evaluate project plans and proposals to assess feasibility issues.
Tools & technology
- Amazon Web Services AWS SageMaker
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Ansible software
- Apache Hadoop
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Spark
- Bash
- C
- C++
- Docker
- Git
- GitHub
- Go
- Grafana Labs Grafana Cloud
- Hugging Face
- IBM Terraform
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Design
- Telecommunications
- Physics