Machine learning and AI engineer resume keywords

We counted the skills in 868 open machine learning and AI engineer job postings from 166 employers, including Waymo, OpenAI and Anthropic. The ones employers ask for most are machine learning (82% of postings), AI (77%) and LLMs (44%).

Top skills and tools in machine learning and AI engineer postings

#	Keyword	Share of postings
1	machine learning	82%
2	AI	77%
3	LLMs	44%
4	Python	43%
5	deep learning	24%
6	prototyping	21%
7	A/B testing	21%
8	PyTorch	20%
9	product roadmap	20%
10	APIs	19%
11	algorithms	17%
12	generative AI	17%
13	automation	17%
14	observability	17%
15	backend	12%
16	sales	11%
17	AWS	11%
18	computer vision	10%
19	robotics	10%
20	shipping	10%
21	TensorFlow	10%
22	UX	9%
23	statistics	9%
24	C++	9%
25	RAG	9%
26	NLP	9%
27	distributed systems	8%
28	data pipelines	8%
29	MLOps	8%
30	Apache Spark	8%

Share of the 868 postings whose description names the skill (plurals and common spellings, such as “JS” and “JavaScript”, count as one).

Soft skills employers mention

leadership · 10%ownership · 9%communication · 9%collaboration · 8%cross-functional · 6%decision making · 5%

Show these through results in your bullets (“led a team of six”) rather than listing them as adjectives.

How to use these keywords on your machine learning and AI engineer resume

Start with the posting, not this list. These are averages across 868 jobs; the one you're applying for has its own priorities. Use this page to spot common gaps, then match the specific posting.
Name skills the way employers do. If you use “machine learning”, “AI” and “LLMs”, write those exact words. Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for them, and a close synonym can be missed.
Put each skill in a bullet that shows a result. Naming Python inside a bullet about what you achieved with it, with a number where you can, is stronger than listing it alone in a skills section.
Add only what's true. If you've worked with “Python”, “deep learning” and “prototyping” but your resume doesn't say so, add it. If you haven't, leave it out: interviews expose padded resumes quickly.

More about machine learning and AI engineer jobs

Resume keywords for other jobs

How these numbers are calculated

Every figure comes from open machine learning and AI engineer job postings on MANY Hired, imported from employers' own career pages. For each posting we pick out the skills, tools, certifications and qualifications its description names, then count how many postings ask for each one. A job counts as machine learning and AI engineer by its title. Updated October 28, 2026.