AI Evaluation & Safety Engineer
⚖️Tests neural networks for errors, bias, harmful answers and vulnerabilities: writes evals, tries to “break” the model and makes sure AI is reliable.
Prospects & pay
What the work is like
💼 Job market
🇺🇸 $146.6k a year on average · +21.8% jobs by 2035 · 2,900 openings a year
Computer and information research scientists — US: Census ACS 2020–24 (full-time), BLS projections 2025–35
🇬🇧 £56.8k median a year · 342,000 jobs
Programmers and software development professionals — UK: ONS ASHE 2025 (full-time)
🤖 AI & automation
The more powerful AI gets, the more people are needed to test it and answer for its safety. AI regulation such as the EU AI Act adds to demand.
Who it suits
Interests: 💻 Coding and digital, 📐 Maths and data, 🛡️ Protecting, rescuing, serving, ✍️ Writing and literature.
Key strengths: logic, maths, speaking and writing.
Where to study
- Bachelor's BSc Computer Science / BEng Software Engineering
- Master's MSc Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence
- PhD PhD in ML or a related field (research roles)
Key school subjects (A-level / IB / AP): Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science.
🧗 A Computer Science or Maths degree and a master’s in ML/AI; research roles often need a PhD. Demand is driven by AI labs and regulation such as the EU AI Act.
Universities
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge Cambridge · €33.4k–81.1k/yr
IELTS 7.5 (7.0 each); subject test (ESAT, TMUA, LNAT, UCAT), interview; apply by 15 Oct; plus college fee £12–14.5k/yr - Imperial College London London · €49.1k–52.3k/yr
A-levels/IB or a recognised foundation; IELTS 6.5–7.0; ESAT/TMUA tests; medicine: UCAT + interview, £58.6k/yr - University of Oxford Oxford · €43k–72.2k/yr
IELTS 7.5 (7.0 each); subject test (MAT, PAT, TSA, LNAT, UCAT), interview; apply by 15 Oct; medicine takes ≤14 international students/yr
🇺🇸 United States
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA · €58k/yr
SAT/ACT required; TOEFL 90+ (100 rec.) / IELTS 7; own application (not Common App); need-blind for internationals, full need met - Stanford University Stanford, CA · €58.9k–61.2k/yr
SAT/ACT required; no English test required; need-aware for internationals (aid request affects admission), full need met - Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh · €60.6k/yr
TOEFL 102+ (new scale 5) / IELTS 7.5 / DET 135; SAT/ACT; no financial aid for internationals, full cost ≈ $94k/yr
🇩🇪 Germany
- Technical University of Munich Munich · €4k–6k/yr
Non-EU: €2,000-3,000/semester (€2,300-3,400 from 2027/28); German C1 (DSH-2/TestDaF 4x4); aptitude assessment (EfV): grades, test, interview - RWTH Aachen University Aachen · free
No tuition; German: DSH-2, TestDaF 4 in all parts or DSD II; Russian certificate: via Studienkolleg (FSP) - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe · €3k/yr
Non-EU: €1,500 a semester; apply with B1, DSH-2/telc C1 Hochschule by start; only Mechanical Engineering International is in English
🇳🇱 Netherlands
- Delft University of Technology Delft · €19.9k/yr
VWO level: Russian certificate assessed individually (usually + 1 university year); IELTS 6.5 (Dutch-taught 5.5); NF: Architecture, Clinical Technology - University of Amsterdam Amsterdam · €17.5k/yr
Certificate + usually 1 university year (Diploma finder); IELTS 6.5 (PPLE 7.0); medicine is Dutch-taught, numerus fixus, €34,700 - Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven · €18.6k/yr
VWO level with maths and physics; Russian certificate assessed individually (usually + 1 university year); IELTS ≈ 6.5; all bachelors in English
🇫🇷 France
- Université Paris-Saclay Gif-sur-Yvette · €200–2.9k/yr
Licence in French: DAP, B2 (TCF DAP/DELF B2); in 2026/27 non-EU partly exempted, pay €178 - École Polytechnique Palaiseau · €19.6k/yr
English-taught Bachelor of Science: IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 90, advanced maths + a science, file, 3 rounds; engineering cycle: concours after CPGE - Sorbonne University Paris · €200–2.9k/yr
DAP, French B2; medicine via PASS/LAS with selection into year 2; waiver of €2,902 under university criteria
🇮🇹 Italy
- Politecnico di Milano Milan · €160–3.9k/yr
TOL (≥30/100) or SAT ≥620 per section; English/Italian B2; 12 school years, else a university year or foundation - Sapienza University of Rome Rome · €700/yr
12 school years; B2 in the language of study; pre-selection for English programmes, test for medicine. Russia is band B: €700 a year - University of Pisa Pisa · €1.2k–2.9k/yr
12 school years; Italian B2 (English B2 for English programmes); TOLC/programme test; fee by country group €1,160–2,900
🇪🇸 Spain
- Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) Madrid · €6.8k–8.2k/yr
Spanish B2 (ACLES/DELE certificate, checked by UNEDasiss); homologation + UNEDasiss, PCE for score; non-EU pay 4th-attempt rate - Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) Barcelona · €1.8k/yr
Homologation + UNEDasiss, PCE for score; non-EU €30/ECTS; some classes in Catalan - Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) Valencia · €1.5k–2.2k/yr
Homologation + UNEDasiss, PCE for score; non-EU pay double credit price; classes in Spanish/Valencian *
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- Czech Technical University in Prague Prague · €0–5.1k/yr
Free in Czech (Czech B2, maths); English-taught CZK 55,000–64,000 per semester - Charles University Prague · free
Free in Czech (Czech ≈B2 + exams, ÚJOP course); English programmes €40–30,620/yr - Brno University of Technology Brno · free
Free in Czech: Czech ≈B2 + entrance exams, certificate nostrification *
Things to know
🪑 Sitting at a computer all day
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