How To Become A Computational Linguist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a computational linguist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Computational linguists help machines process human language and linguists understand language through computer models. Computational linguists register their skills in developing applications related to translation, voice recognition, automated text analysis, search engines, and other pioneering technologies.

In most cases, to become a computational linguist, applicants need a master's or doctoral degree in a field related to computer science or a bachelor's degree combined with work experience developing natural language software in a commercial environment.

Salary level differs, depending on the industry and particular role. Computational linguists make an average of about $81,000 per year, with the top-end annual salary at $106,000.

ScoreComputational LinguistUS Average

Salary

6.2

Avg. Salary $79,804

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.1

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 18.26%

Black or African American 5.09%

Hispanic or Latino 8.98%

Unknown 4.73%

White 62.76%

Gender

female 41.54%

male 58.46%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a computational linguist

Explore computational linguist education requirements

Most common computational linguist degrees

Bachelor's

49.3 %

Master's

38.8 %

Doctorate

9.0 %

Start to develop specific computational linguist skills

Skills	Percentages
Python	23.09%
NLP	20.41%
Java	12.05%
Extraction	11.02%
Perl	6.68%

Complete relevant computational linguist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New computational linguists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a computational linguist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real computational linguist resumes.

Research computational linguist duties and responsibilities

Design object-oriented, pattern-driven Java tools to flexibly manage scientific data archive to an SQL database.
Guarantee inventory and custody of equipment supporting real-world combat operations.
Train to navigate numerous NSA databases to correlate information and produce detail reports.
Educate staff on discrimination polices and mandate training to enhance operating effectiveness within combat situations.

Apply for computational linguist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a computational linguist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams