Analyzing and interpreting data; Doing experiments. [22]

Computational Scientist

What this job does:

Develop computational models and analysis pipelines (often scientific or biomedical) to integrate complex datasets, test hypotheses in silico, and deliver tools and insights that guide experiments or product development. Similar to Bioinformatics but more modeling-driven.

This job is similar to these lab/research tasks:

Models: build simulations or predictive models, parameter fitting; Pipelines: automate data cleaning/QC, manage metadata, run batch analyses; Hypothesis testing: design computational experiments, control analyses, replicate results; Tools/reporting: build dashboards or scripts, generate figures, write reports; Other: code review, documentation, mentor junior researchers.

Typical starting salary range

$142k to $225k

Salary estimate represented as 25th to 75th percentile. Gathered from recent job postings, Glassdoor.com, and Salary.com

Daily task breakdown

Algorithm/model development 30%; data integration, preprocessing & pipeline engineering 20%; hypothesis testing & deep analysis with domain teams 20%; tool building, visualization & reporting 15%; other (mentoring, documentation, meetings) 15%.

Skills you'll use in this job:

Scientific computing in Python/R (often plus HPC or cloud); statistics and modeling; building reproducible pipelines/tools; domain knowledge (biology, chemistry, materials, or physics); communicating results to experimental teams.

Talk about these PhD skills in your resume and interview:

Position your PhD as building methods and tools: translating scientific questions into algorithms, validating models against data, and iterating with experimental collaborators. Emphasize reproducible computation, benchmarking, and clear reporting of uncertainty/limitations.

Alternative job titles to search:

Scientific Computing Scientist; Computational Research Scientist; Computational Biologist/chemist; Modeling Scientist; Applied Research Scientist; Quantitative Scientist.

*Note:

-Job titles are inconsistent between companies. Try various keywords.
-PhDs tend to undershoot seniority level. Target higher than you think.