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In short

Of the 323 machine learning engineer roles at tech companies whose requirements we read in the 90 days to Oct 16, 2026, Python is required in 245 of 323 (76%), Machine Learning in 222 of 323 (69%) and PyTorch in 156 of 323 (48%). Name the ones you have in your latest jobs, next to what you built with them.

Degree required, no alternative
98 of 319 (31%)
Of the roles we could read for it

The skills these postings ask for most

Counts are out of the 323 roles whose requirements we could read; the 10 asked for most in each list.

Required
SkillRoles asking
Python
245 of 323 (76%)
Machine Learning
222 of 323 (69%)
PyTorch
156 of 323 (48%)
TensorFlow
87 of 323 (27%)
Deep Learning
76 of 323 (24%)
LLMs
70 of 323 (22%)
AI
61 of 323 (19%)
AWS
56 of 323 (17%)
Statistics
48 of 323 (15%)
CI/CD
47 of 323 (15%)
Preferred
SkillRoles asking
LLMs
35 of 323 (11%)
AWS
29 of 323 (9%)
AI Agents
26 of 323 (8%)
MLOps
22 of 323 (7%)
PyTorch
22 of 323 (7%)
Open Source
21 of 323 (7%)
Kubernetes
20 of 323 (6%)
C++
19 of 323 (6%)
Fine-Tuning
18 of 323 (6%)
GCP
18 of 323 (6%)

What to put first

  1. Lead with Python, Machine Learning and PyTorch

    They are the required skills named most, with their counts in the table above. Put the ones you have in your skills line and in the bullets of your latest job, each next to what you did with it.

  2. Then LLMs and AWS, if you have them

    Preferred, not required: LLMs in 35 of 323 (11%) and AWS in 29 of 323 (9%). Add them where they are true; leaving one out costs less than claiming it.

  3. Make 5+ years easy to count

    Among roles that state years, 160 of 243 (66%) ask for at least 5 years. Give every job a start and end month and year, so a reader can add them up.

  4. Education can go last

    98 of 319 (31%) roles require a degree with no alternative; the rest accept experience instead, prefer one or do not mention it. Lead with your work.

  5. Going for senior? Show Deep Learning

    Deep Learning is required in 9 of 61 (15%) mid-level roles and 30 of 99 (30%) senior roles. If you have done that work, say where.

What changes by level

The machine learning engineer career path compares each level with the next: the required skills that rise, the years asked and the median stated pay where it shows.

Machine learning engineer career path

Bullet patterns

Replace every bracket with your own facts. Keep only numbers you can explain in an interview.

  • Pattern, not a real resume

    Built [system] that [what it does] for [team or users], using Python; [metric] after [time].

  • Pattern, not a real resume

    Used Machine Learning to cut [metric] from [before] to [after] by [change you made].

  • Pattern, not a real resume

    Applied PyTorch to [problem], which [made it cheaper, faster or more reliable] by [amount].

  • Pattern, not a real resume

    Led [project] with [number] people across [teams]; shipped [outcome] in [time].

Gaps to check before you send it

  • A required skill you use but never name

    If you work with Python and Machine Learning but your bullets only say what the product did, a reader looking for the skill will not find it. Name it where you used it.

  • Dates that do not add up

    Most roles that state years ask for at least 5 years. Missing months, overlaps and unexplained gaps make that hard to count.

  • Bullets without an outcome

    A bullet that names a tool but not what changed reads as a list of tasks. Add what moved and by how much, or what shipped.

  • Work at the next level, hidden by a title

    Senior roles ask for Deep Learning and Python more often than mid-level roles do. If you did that work, say so, whatever your title was.

More on machine learning engineer roles

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How we count: 323 roles from 224 employers in the 90 days to Oct 16, 2026, each role counted once however many boards post it. Methodology