Career Profile: Computer and Information Research Scientists

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 33,500 people employed as computer and information research scientists in the United States. The median annual salary is $131,490. Entry level employees earn approximately $74,210 per year and senior employees earn approximately $208,000 (or more) per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Conduct logical analyses of business, scientific, engineering, and other technical problems, formulating mathematical models of problems for solution by computers.
• Evaluate project plans and proposals to assess feasibility issues.
• 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.
• Develop performance standards, and evaluate work in light of established standards.
• Maintain network hardware and software, direct network security measures, and monitor networks to ensure availability to system users.
• Direct daily operations of departments, coordinating project activities with other departments.
• Participate in staffing decisions and direct training of subordinates.
• Approve, prepare, monitor, and adjust operational budgets.
• 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.

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