Career
Computer and information research scientists
Invent new ways to use computers, from algorithms to AI.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “share increases as demand for solutions to complex computing challenges and for developing new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), will support an increased demand for computer and information research scientists.”
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Analyze problems to develop solutions involving computer hardware and software.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
6 years of education after high school (master's degree), for a median of $140,300 a year and 2,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Computer and Information SciencesSee the degree →
- Computer ScienceSee the degree →
- ChemistrySee the degree →
- Information ScienceSee the degree →
- Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCIP 11.0101
- Artificial IntelligenceCIP 11.0102
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Data Scientists$120,230 · +34.6%
- Mathematicians$126,710 · +0.6%
- Software Developers$135,980 · +10.2%
- Computer Programmers$100,390 · -7.3%
- Operations Research Analysts$88,940 · +11.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.