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.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Design
- Telecommunications
- Physics
A day in the life
You start your morning reading the latest papers on arXiv or attending a lab seminar where a colleague presents new results, sparking ideas for your own research directions. Your day is largely self-directed: you might spend hours at a whiteboard formalizing an algorithm, then shift to running large-scale experiments on a compute cluster, analyzing results, and iterating on your approach. You collaborate with fellow researchers, graduate students, and sometimes industry partners, discussing theoretical proofs, sharing code, and debating experimental methodology. The work is deeply fulfilling when you publish a breakthrough paper or see your research adopted in a real product, but the long timelines, rejection from top conferences, and pressure to secure grants require resilience.
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