AI Drug Discovery & Machine Learning Salaries 2026
What AI and machine learning roles in pharma, biotech and research are actually offered, from the pay ranges employers publish in their job postings.
These are the jobs where machine learning is applied to biology and medicine: models that propose or rank drug candidates, design proteins and antibodies, read pathology and imaging data, predict from genomic and clinical data, and the engineering that runs those models. Job titles vary (machine learning scientist, AI engineer, data scientist), so the figures below are split by role as well as by level.
How to read these numbers. Each figure is the middle of what employers advertise: the median of the posted minimums to the median of the posted maximums. It is base salary only; bonus and equity are not included. Overall figures mostly reflect which levels are hiring, so use the by-level comparison for any one job.
Does AI pay more? AI & ML vs other computational biology, by level
At 7 of the 7 levels we can compare, AI and machine learning postings have a higher typical ceiling than other computational biology roles at the same level. The biggest difference is at mid level, where the typical AI/ML ceiling is $33K higher. At director and executive level the AI/ML floor is lower, so the AI/ML range is wider rather than simply higher. Compare level by level, not overall: 6% of AI/ML postings are entry-level or postdoc roles, against 13% of the others, so an overall comparison mixes in a difference in seniority.
| Level | AI & ML roles | Other computational biology |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $85K–$123K (8) | $66K–$92K (59) |
| Postdoc | $72K–$92K (22) | $72K–$87K (61) |
| Mid level | $126K–$195K (101) | $106K–$162K (153) |
| Senior | $145K–$215K (124) | $129K–$184K (203) |
| Principal | $167K–$245K (79) | $148K–$224K (160) |
| Director | $175K–$277K (131) | $186K–$265K (261) |
| Executive | $246K–$396K (6) | $282K–$375K (22) |
Numbers in brackets are postings. Levels with fewer than 6 postings on either side are left out.
AI & machine learning salary by role
Machine learning scientists and researchers develop new models and methods and usually need a PhD and a publication record. Machine learning and AI engineers build and run the systems those models live in. Data scientists apply statistics and machine learning to an organisation's own data, from genomics to clinical trials. Roles that name drug discovery, protein or molecular design in the title are where AI is most directly part of making a medicine.
| Role | Typical posted pay | Senior | Principal | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning Scientist / Researcher | $151K–$259K | $148K–$240K | $209K–$301K | 76 |
| Machine Learning / AI Engineer | $148K–$227K | $148K–$227K | $137K–$227K | 71 |
| Data Scientist | $146K–$223K | $145K–$203K | $170K–$227K | 219 |
| AI for drug discovery, protein and molecular design | $141K–$243K | $148K–$262K | $154K–$244K | 66 |
| Generative AI / LLM | $159K–$253K | $145K–$228K | — | 33 |
A role can appear in more than one row (a "machine learning scientist, drug discovery" counts in both). A dash means fewer than 6 postings at that level.
Skills these employers ask for
Share of AI and machine learning postings that name each skill, across 494 live AI/ML roles. The full breakdown, by seniority and by field (protein design, drug discovery, genomics, imaging, clinical), is in the AI/ML skills guide.
Pay by type of employer
AI hiring in biology is spread across large pharma building internal AI groups, established biotechs, research institutes, and many AI-first startups. These are base-salary ranges: startup offers often also include equity and pharma offers often include a bonus, neither of which is shown here.
| Employer type | Typical posted pay | Hiring now |
|---|---|---|
| Large pharma | $145K–$236K (343 postings) | 19 employers |
| Established biotech | $169K–$222K (68 postings) | 20 employers |
| Startups | $176K–$240K (59 postings) | 28 employers |
| Tools & diagnostics | $150K–$204K (28 postings) | 10 employers |
| Academic & nonprofit | $104K–$162K (42 postings) | 12 employers |
Employer types come from public company information (ownership, size, sector).
AI biotech startups hiring now
Startups that currently list AI or machine learning roles on CompBioJobs, most openings first.
- Lila Sciences 15 open roles
- Xaira Therapeutics 8 open roles
- Formation Bio 5 open roles
- BigHat Biosciences 3 open roles
- Latent Labs 3 open roles
- Nabla Bio 3 open roles
- RelationRx 3 open roles
- Altos Labs 2 open roles
- Boltz 2 open roles
- Chai Discovery 2 open roles
- Insitro 2 open roles
- Orakl Oncology 2 open roles
- PathAI 2 open roles
- Profluent 2 open roles
- Antares Therapeutics 1 open role
- Dyno Therapeutics 1 open role
What individual employers post
Employers with at least 6 AI and machine learning postings that list pay, highest typical ceiling first. A higher range often reflects a more senior mix of open roles, not higher pay for the same job.
| Employer | Typical posted pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Chan Zuckerberg Biohub | $228K–$316K | 6 |
| Genentech | $167K–$311K | 65 |
| Formation Bio | $186K–$267K | 11 |
| Altos Labs | $201K–$258K | 6 |
| Novartis | $139K–$257K | 38 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $167K–$251K | 6 |
| Flagship Pioneering | $154K–$248K | 12 |
| Eli Lilly | $152K–$244K | 33 |
| Xaira Therapeutics | $160K–$240K | 8 |
| Pfizer | $139K–$232K | 31 |
| Takeda | $146K–$229K | 10 |
| Merck (MSD) | $145K–$228K | 29 |
Questions
How much do AI drug discovery and machine learning jobs in biotech pay?
Across 611 AI and machine learning jobs in pharma, biotech and research on CompBioJobs that list annual pay in US dollars, the typical posted range is $150K–$232K (median posted minimum to median posted maximum). Roles whose titles name drug discovery, protein or molecular design show $141K–$243K (66 postings).
Do AI and machine learning roles pay more than other computational biology jobs?
At 7 of the 7 levels we can compare, AI/ML postings have a higher typical ceiling: entry level $85K–$123K vs $66K–$92K; postdoc $72K–$92K vs $72K–$87K; mid level $126K–$195K vs $106K–$162K; senior $145K–$215K vs $129K–$184K; principal $167K–$245K vs $148K–$224K; director $175K–$277K vs $186K–$265K; executive $246K–$396K vs $282K–$375K. Comparing level by level matters because the two groups have a different mix of junior and senior roles.
Do machine learning scientists or machine learning engineers earn more in biotech?
On the postings we track, machine learning scientist and researcher roles show $151K–$259K (76 postings) and machine learning or AI engineer roles $148K–$227K (71 postings). Scientist titles more often require a PhD and a publication record; engineer titles more often emphasise production systems.
What does a data scientist in biotech or genomics earn?
Data scientist roles at pharma, biotech and research employers show a typical posted range of $146K–$223K across 219 postings that state pay.
Are AI biotech startups hiring?
28 startups currently list AI or machine learning roles on CompBioJobs. Their typical posted base salary range is $176K–$240K, across 59 postings that state pay.
Where do these numbers come from?
Only from job postings that state a salary: the posted minimum and maximum, in US dollars, for full-time annual roles. An AI/ML role here is one whose title names machine learning, AI, deep learning, generative AI, large language models or data science. Each posting counts once, and a group with fewer than 6 postings is not shown.
Related: bioinformatics salaries · biostatistics salaries · AI/ML skills guide · protein design jobs
AI/ML roles here are titles naming machine learning, AI, deep learning, generative AI, large language models or data science, at pharma, biotech and research employers. Levels come from our role classifier. Figures update hourly.