Six Figure Work

Principal Applied Scientist, Amazon Payments

Amazon

Company websiteamazon.com (Amazon, opens in new tab)

Base salary $198,900  to $269,000

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Seattle, WA

Apply (opens in new tab)

You apply on the employer's own site. Six Figure Work does not handle applications.

  • LocationSeattle, WA
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (3 h ago) · observed since

About this job

We are looking for a Principal Applied Scientist for Amazon Payments AI/ML Team, which contributes science and science-related engineering work for Amazon’s Payments Artificial Intelligence services (e.g. Amazon Payments Recommendation, Prediction, GEN AI platform to enable SOP automation and new projects already underway). In this role, you will work with your peers and senior management to set the direction for Amazon’s AI efforts. Our mission is to put the power of AI in the hands of every developer. You will be responsible for mentoring a team of applied scientists. You will be responsible for creating a strong environment for applied scientists, with a focus on recruiting, retaining and developing top talent. You will partner with engineering leaders to deliver remarkable new Amazon Payments services and features that leverage Machine Learning and GenAI.

As a Principal Applied Scientist, you will identify research directions, create roadmaps for forward-looking research and communicate them to senior leadership, and work closely with engineering teams to bring research to production. You will work with teams of talented scientists, and fill the ranks by attracting the best scientists in machine learning, e.g. Amazon payments recommendation and natural language processing for SOP automation. You will work with talented peers and leverage Amazon’s heterogeneous data sources and large-scale computing resources.

Basic Qualifications

  • PhD or MSc in computer science or related fields
  • 10 + years in AI and Machine Learning in industry and/or academia
  • Track record of thought leadership and contributions that have advanced the field
  • Strong skills in collaboration and teamwork
  • Strong record of delivery in industry and academic contexts
  • Ability to handle multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

  • 12+ years in AI, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing in industry and/or academia.
  • Strong publication history in top publications.

Professional traits that are not unique to this position, but necessary for Amazon leaders:

  • Exhibits excellent judgment
  • Hires and develops great people
  • Has relentlessly high standards (is never satisfied with the status quo)
  • Is able to dive deep and is never out of touch with the details of the business or the technology
  • Expects and requires innovation of her/his team
  • Has the innate ability to inspire passion in others
  • Strong results orientation
  • Thinks big

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Seattle - 198,900.00 - 269,000.00 USD annually

Source: Amazon · View original posting (opens in new tab)

Pay in context

This role's base floor ($198,900) is above 88% of the 329 Data & ML roles in Washington listed on this site; 9 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $143,700; the middle half runs from $136,000 to $168,000.

Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 7, 2026.

This range next to 6 other live Amazon roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live Amazon roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Principal Applied Scientist, Amazon Payments (this listing)$198,900 - $269,000
Principal, Senior Principal and Distinguished Engineer, AWS Agentic AI$200,100 - $270,600
Principal, Senior Principal and Distinguished Engineer, AWS Database ServicesFrom $200,100
Principal Software Engineer, Devices Global Retail Technology$200,100 - $270,600
Principal Software Development Engineer$200,100 - $270,600
Senior Manager, UX Research, Amazon Delivery Experience$199,200 - $269,500
Senior Manager, Product Management Technical, External Services, Amazon Connect Customer$199,200 - $269,500

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All Amazon roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
  2. First observed on the employer's board
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-05-07
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: US, WA, Seattle

USA, WA, Seattle - 198,900.00 - 269,000.00 USD annually

Method
Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.