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A computational linguist specializes in the intersection of linguistics and computer science, working on projects that involve language processing technologies. The average salary for computational linguists is approximately $79,804 per year, reflecting the demand for their skills in diverse sectors, including technology, academia, and government.
Geographical location significantly influences salary. For instance, computational linguists in states like California and Washington often earn higher wages than those in other regions. This variance underscores the importance of considering location when evaluating job opportunities.
With experience, salaries can increase, and specialized roles may offer even higher compensation. Positions such as senior computational linguist or roles in machine learning frequently command salaries exceeding the average. Additionally, the demand for skills in natural language processing continues to grow, presenting new avenues for career advancement.
As technology advances, the role of the computational linguist becomes increasingly vital. Staying informed about industry trends and salary expectations can significantly enhance your career trajectory.
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The average computational linguist salary in California, Alaska, and Oregon are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average computational linguist salary states are Wyoming, Idaho, and Mississippi.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $102,514 | $49.29 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $90,579 | $43.55 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $88,398 | $42.50 |
| 4 | Oregon | $93,527 | $44.96 |
| 5 | Maine | $83,256 | $40.03 |
| 6 | Maryland | $91,053 | $43.78 |
| 7 | Alaska | $93,668 | $45.03 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $89,853 | $43.20 |
| 9 | Virginia | $85,304 | $41.01 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $90,389 | $43.46 |
| 11 | Vermont | $85,251 | $40.99 |
| 12 | Arizona | $83,949 | $40.36 |
| 13 | Michigan | $77,484 | $37.25 |
| 14 | New York | $85,163 | $40.94 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $80,133 | $38.53 |
| 16 | Washington | $81,513 | $39.19 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $82,920 | $39.87 |
| 18 | Texas | $78,792 | $37.88 |
| 19 | Delaware | $82,889 | $39.85 |
| 20 | Alabama | $77,670 | $37.34 |
| 21 | Iowa | $74,151 | $35.65 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $75,238 | $36.17 |
| 23 | Colorado | $80,216 | $38.57 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $73,989 | $35.57 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $82,705 | $39.76 |
| 26 | Utah | $73,615 | $35.39 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $77,185 | $37.11 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $76,355 | $36.71 |
| 29 | Ohio | $74,492 | $35.81 |
| 30 | Kansas | $75,226 | $36.17 |
| 31 | Georgia | $75,082 | $36.10 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $75,843 | $36.46 |
| 33 | Nevada | $76,289 | $36.68 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $74,783 | $35.95 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $73,518 | $35.35 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $72,115 | $34.67 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $73,188 | $35.19 |
| 38 | Indiana | $72,554 | $34.88 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $70,505 | $33.90 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $72,261 | $34.74 |
| 41 | Illinois | $71,780 | $34.51 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $68,350 | $32.86 |
| 43 | Missouri | $72,305 | $34.76 |
| 44 | Florida | $70,390 | $33.84 |
| 45 | Idaho | $65,946 | $31.70 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $65,886 | $31.68 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $57,826 | $27.80 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $64,505 | $31.01 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $68,474 | $32.92 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $66,572 | $32.01 |
| 51 | Montana | $63,020 | $30.30 |
The highest-paying cities for computational linguists are Mountain View, CA, Salem, OR, and Annapolis, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mountain View, CA | $106,464 | $51.18 |
| 2 | Salem, OR | $93,763 | $45.08 |
| 3 | Annapolis, MD | $91,104 | $43.80 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $90,585 | $43.55 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $90,511 | $43.51 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $89,835 | $43.19 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | $86,417 | $41.55 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $85,190 | $40.96 |
| 9 | Richmond, VA | $85,103 | $40.91 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $84,103 | $40.43 |
| 11 | Dover, DE | $82,696 | $39.76 |
| 12 | Olympia, WA | $82,591 | $39.71 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $81,225 | $39.05 |
| 14 | Denver, CO | $80,209 | $38.56 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $79,643 | $38.29 |
| 16 | Montgomery, AL | $77,409 | $37.22 |
| 17 | Concord, NH | $77,039 | $37.04 |
| 18 | Lansing, MI | $77,026 | $37.03 |
| 19 | Columbia, SC | $76,053 | $36.56 |
| 20 | Bismarck, ND | $75,662 | $36.38 |
A computational linguist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $122,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| 75th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| Average | $79,804 | $6,650 | $38 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
The highest paying types of computational linguists are lead programmer, abap-developer, and senior programmer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Programmer | $71,612 | $5,968 | $34.43 | 253,235 |
| Systems Programmer | $96,017 | $8,001 | $46.16 | 257,681 |
| Sap/Abap Developer | $104,432 | $8,703 | $50.21 | 92,478 |
| SAS Programmer | $79,182 | $6,599 | $38.07 | 24,733 |
| Programmer | $73,007 | $6,084 | $35.10 | 234,565 |
| Mainframe Developer | $90,902 | $7,575 | $43.70 | 255,034 |
Top companies hiring computational linguists now:
Computational linguist salaries at Apple and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average computational linguist salary at companies like Intel and 3M Company are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $144,441 | $69.44 |
| 2 | $139,353 | $67.00 | |
| 3 | Intel | $99,340 | $47.76 |
| 4 | 3M Company | $86,610 | $41.64 |
| 5 | SoundHound | $85,870 | $41.28 |
| 6 | English Helpers | $85,222 | $40.97 |
| 7 | NetBase Quid | $85,046 | $40.89 |
| 8 | Voicebox Technologies | $84,992 | $40.86 |
| 9 | JTG | $84,376 | $40.57 |
The average computational linguist salary has risen by $14,803 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average computational linguist earned $65,001 annually, but today, they earn $79,804 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for computational linguists over the last decade.
Compare computational linguist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare computational linguist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $79,800 | $38.37 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $77,200 | $37.10 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $75,400 | $36.26 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $73,600 | $35.39 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $71,500 | $34.35 | +0.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jpmorgan Chase & Co | Computational Linguist-Associate | Wilmington, DE | 04/23/2025 | $80,750 |
| Intento, Inc. | Computational Linguist | Cody, WY | 10/01/2024 | $111,655 |
| Apple Inc. | Aiml-SR Computational Linguist, Siri Conversational Intelligence | Cupertino, CA | 07/18/2024 | $143,100 |
| Roku, Inc. | Senior Computational Linguist | Bellevue, WA | 04/10/2024 | $201,450 |
| Google LLC | Computational Linguist | Mountain View, CA | 02/06/2024 | $196,000 |
| Google LLC | Computational Linguist | Mountain View, CA | 02/06/2024 | $196,000 |
| Google LLC | Computational Linguist | Mountain View, CA | 11/29/2023 | $196,000 |
| Google LLC | Computational Linguist | Mountain View, CA | 11/29/2023 | $196,000 |
| Google LLC | Computational Linguist | Mountain View, CA | 11/29/2023 | $196,000 |
| ADP | Computational Linguist | Albany, NY | 11/08/2023 | $75,600 |
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