Principal Applied Scientist

Microsoft

Confirmed live today High trust

Hybrid

Quick summary

Work type: Hybrid
Location: —
Salary: $165,600–$296,400 / yr
Posted: 11 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live today
Closes: Mar 20, 2027

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $230k

This role $231k

$140k most similar roles pay here $313k

This role pays more than 68% of similar roles. Most pay $205,000–$255,500 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $231k versus about $230k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing

Microsoft currently has 598 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $119,800–$234,700 across 571 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Applied Scientist

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The Principal Applied Scientist joins the Core Search and AI team to build next-generation search powered by advanced machine learning and large language models. This role involves leading major initiatives to improve search relevance through advanced research methodologies and applied techniques. Day-to-day responsibilities include advancing LLM post-training and alignment, designing retrieval and ranking systems, and architecting RAG pipelines to reduce hallucinations and enhance fidelity in production environments. The candidate will translate research into scalable products by running experiments and collaborating with engineering partners. Required skills include expertise in machine learning, NLP, and coding in Python, C++, C#, C, or Java. The role focuses on solving complex problems involving query and document understanding, retrieval-augmented systems, and search result optimization within a massive document corpus to deliver high-quality results for the next generation of search technology.

What does a Applied Scientist earn?

Median $231000 from 40 postings across 11 companies.

See salary data

Skills

Large Language Models LLM NLP RAG Machine Learning Python C++ C# Java Retrieval Ranking Statistics Predictive Analytics Experimentation

What you'll do

Lead major initiatives using advanced research methodologies and applied techniques to drive product opportunities.
Develop LLM post-training and alignment techniques to improve reasoning, safety, and factual grounding.
Build and optimize retrieval, ranking, and relevance systems for next-generation search capabilities.
Architect and refine RAG pipelines to reduce hallucinations and improve context-aware responses in production.
Translate research into production by running experiments and collaborating with engineering teams to deploy scalable models.
Drive scientific rigor through hypothesis-driven experimentation and clear documentation of model behaviors.
Mentor team members and manage the onboarding of new talent and academic collaborators.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree plus 8 years of experience, Master's plus 6 years, or Doctorate plus 5 years in a relevant technical field.
Equivalent experience to the specified educational and experience requirements is acceptable.
6+ years of experience coding in Python, C++, C#, C, or Java (preferred).
6+ years of industry experience applying Machine Learning techniques (preferred).
Experience building and improving large-scale Machine Learning systems for search, ads, or recommendation using LLMs (preferred).
Research background in Machine Learning, LLM, and NLP (preferred).
Ability to identify and solve complex problems that have not been solved before (preferred).

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