Data & AI Jobs at Startups
There are 1,780 open data and AI roles at 848 early-stage startups, 42% of them remote. Where pay is stated it is typically USD 157.5k to 235k, with a median of USD 195k.
Working in data & ai at a startup
At an early-stage startup, this work is less siloed than at big companies. You might own a data pipeline one day, train a model the next, and explain results to non-technical founders the day after. The focus is on shipping something useful quickly, often with limited compute and messy data.
What data and AI work involves at an early-stage startup
The data is messy and there is not much of it yet. You build the pipeline, train the model, then explain the result to a founder in plain words. Large employers give you a clean warehouse and one narrow question, while here you pick the question too.
Day to day
- Design and build data pipelines
- Develop and fine-tune machine learning models
- Deploy and monitor models in production
- Create dashboards and analyses for decision-making
- Collaborate with product and engineering teams
- Ensure data quality and governance
Skills and tools
- Python
- SQL
- PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Data orchestration tools (Airflow, dbt)
- A pragmatic approach to experimentation
How to get into data & ai at a startup
Background
Typical backgrounds include computer science, statistics, or mathematics, though bootcamps and self-study are common in this field.
Career path
This role often advances toward senior technical leadership like Staff/Principal Engineer, or toward AI/Data product management or research management.
Who is hiring data and AI roles
Open roles by startup. Select a startup to see its jobs.
- 1,780open roles
- 848startups hiring
- 42%remote
Pay and the market
Industries
AI and machine learning (441), fintech and payments (170) and healthcare (142) startups have most of the openings.
Pay figures come from the 627 postings on this page that state a salary.
Salary
42% of data & ai postings are remote. Remote data & ai jobs →
Where data & ai roles are open
Open roles by place. Every row is a link.
Industries hiring data & ai
Open roles by what the startup builds. Every row is a link.
Experience level
Open roles by the experience the posting asks for.
Employment type
Open roles by full-time, contract, internship and the rest.
Data & AI jobs
Questions people ask
How much do data and AI jobs pay?
Typically USD 157.5k to 235k a year, with a median of USD 195k, where the posting states a salary.
Which startups are hiring data and AI roles?
HumanSignal (38 roles), Faculty (24) and Distyl AI (15) have the most; 848 startups are hiring in total.
Can I work remotely?
42% of these roles are remote.
Do I need to be senior?
Most roles are senior (55% of those that state a level), and 13% are junior or intern.
Are new roles coming in?
88 were posted this week.