Data · Salary Guide
Data Scientist Salary Guide (2026)
Data scientist compensation in the US ranges from about $100k for new grads at mid-tier companies to over $700k total comp for staff scientists at top AI labs. This guide breaks down the numbers by experience, city, and company — and shows how LLM and ML production experience now drives the largest premiums in the market.
US national median (base salary)
$170k
Total compensation typically runs 30–60% above base at public tech companies.
Salary by experience level
| Experience level | Base salary (US national) |
|---|---|
| Entry (0–2 yrs) | $100k – $150k |
| Mid (3–5 yrs) | $135k – $200k |
| Senior (6–9 yrs) | $180k – $260k |
| Staff / Principal (10+ yrs) | $240k – $400k |
Salary by city
Base salary ranges adjusted by local market multipliers. Click through for the full city guide with tax notes and cost-of-living context.
| City | Adjusted range | Market note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $182k – $351k | Highest base salaries in the US but COL roughly 2x national average. | Full guide |
| New York | $173k – $333k | Finance premium for quant/fintech roles. Strong Big Tech satellite offices. | Full guide |
| Seattle | $162k – $312k | No state income tax. Dominated by Amazon and Microsoft; AWS roles pay a premium. | Full guide |
| Austin | $142k – $273k | Lower base salaries but strong take-home due to zero state tax and ~40% lower housing costs than SF. | Full guide |
| Los Angeles | $155k – $299k | Strong media/entertainment tech market. Base salaries below SF but above most US markets. | Full guide |
| Remote (US) | $128k – $247k | Remote-first companies typically pay at 85–105% of SF rates regardless of employee location. | Full guide |
Top employers and their ranges
Single-tier high-cash structure; top of market for senior ICs
E5 Data Scientist target is roughly $410k TC
Research Scientist roles at DeepMind run ~20% above standard DS bands
Marketplace and pricing DS roles get strongest equity
Compensation includes PPUs; applied scientist roles are highest-paid
Causal inference roles command a 10%+ premium over standard DS
Skills that boost salary
Negotiation tactics
- 1Distinguish applied scientist from generalist DS bands. At Meta, Google, and Amazon, applied scientist roles are leveled 1–2 rungs higher than data scientist — if your work ships to production, push for that track.
- 2Negotiate on total comp, not base. Data scientist base bands are tight, but recruiters have significant latitude on sign-on and equity — that's where 20%+ of the package is won or lost.
- 3Get competing offers from AI-native companies. OpenAI, Anthropic, and Scale offers reset the market — even a verbal offer from one of these firms is worth $50k–$150k in leverage.
- 4Push on refresh grants. Initial RSU grants front-load vesting; a year-1 refresh of $80k–$150k is standard at senior DS level and often missed by first-time negotiators.
- 5Ask for research time and conference budget. 10–20% research time and a $3k–$10k conference/publication budget are increasingly part of senior DS packages and cost the employer little to grant.
FAQ
What is the average data scientist salary in the US?
As of 2026, the median US data scientist total compensation is about $170,000, with mid-level DS typically earning $135k–$200k. At Big Tech, total comp for senior and staff data scientists usually falls between $300k and $600k once equity is included.
Do data scientists make more than data analysts?
Yes, by a significant margin. Data scientists typically earn 40–80% more than data analysts at the same experience level because the role requires machine learning, production deployment, and experimentation skills. A mid-level DS commonly out-earns a senior DA by $40k–$70k.
How much does a senior data scientist make at Big Tech?
Senior data scientist total comp at companies like Meta, Google, and Uber typically ranges from $280k to $450k, with base salaries of $180k–$230k plus equity and bonus. At Netflix and top AI labs, senior DS total comp often exceeds $500k.
Does LLM or generative AI experience increase data scientist salary?
Substantially. Data scientists with hands-on LLM fine-tuning, RAG, or agent-building experience are seeing offers 20–45% above the standard DS band in 2026. AI-native companies pay the steepest premium, but even traditional tech companies now price LLM expertise into senior DS offers.
Related Data Scientist Resources
Sources: Levels.fyi aggregated DS offer data (Q1 2026) · US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025 · Kaggle Data Science Salary Survey 2026 · Built In Data Scientist salary reports (2026)
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