Data science sits at the intersection of statistics, programming, and business strategy—and compensation reflects that rare combination. Here’s what data scientists earn by experience, industry, and location in 2026.
Pay at a Glance (BLS Data)
Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates for data scientists, across all industries:
| Percentile | Annual Wage | Hourly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $67,240 | $32.33 |
| 25th | $85,660 | $41.18 |
| 50th (median) | $120,230 | $57.80 |
| 75th | $158,880 | $76.38 |
| 90th | $199,130 | $95.74 |
| Average (mean) | $126,800 | $60.96 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, for Data Scientists (all industries). Hourly figures are annual wages divided by 2,080 hours. “Not published” means BLS withheld the estimate, usually because wages are above its top reporting limit.
Data Scientist Salary by Experience Level
| Level | Years Experience | Base Salary | Total Comp (Tech) | Total Comp (Finance/Consulting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0-2 | $75,000-$95,000 | $100,000-$150,000 | $85,000-$130,000 |
| Mid-level | 2-5 | $95,000-$130,000 | $150,000-$220,000 | $120,000-$180,000 |
| Senior | 5-8 | $130,000-$170,000 | $220,000-$320,000 | $160,000-$250,000 |
| Lead/Principal | 8-12 | $160,000-$210,000 | $300,000-$450,000 | $200,000-$350,000 |
| Director/VP | 12+ | $200,000-$280,000 | $400,000-$700,000+ | $300,000-$600,000 |
Data Scientist Salary by Industry
| Industry | Why Higher/Lower |
|---|---|
| FAANG/Large tech | Scaling advantage; equity adds significantly |
| Finance / Hedge funds | Quant skills command premium |
| Consulting (MBB, Big 4) | Diverse work; ladder promotions |
| Healthcare / Biotech | Growing demand; regulatory complexity |
| E-commerce / Retail tech | High-volume recommendation/pricing work |
| Startups (Series A-C) | Equity upside vs. lower base |
| Insurance / Financial services | Stable; less top-end growth |
| Government / Academia | Lower pay; more job security |
Data Scientist Salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg Salary | Starting Salary | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $158,040 | $79,930 | $163,350 |
| 2 | California | $156,000 | $77,480 | $141,590 |
| 3 | Maryland | $144,080 | $77,930 | $136,370 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $142,580 | $89,750 | $126,490 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $138,590 | $80,720 | $135,280 |
| 6 | New York | $137,690 | $73,330 | $130,460 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $136,460 | $81,030 | $131,750 |
| 8 | Virginia | $134,590 | $76,420 | $126,430 |
| 9 | Oregon | $131,300 | $78,110 | $125,990 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $129,850 | $75,700 | $126,340 |
| 11 | Colorado | $126,800 | $74,470 | $117,400 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $126,290 | $65,730 | $128,800 |
| 13 | Vermont | $123,640 | $76,570 | $127,070 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $121,270 | $65,970 | $119,090 |
| 15 | Texas | $119,710 | $64,540 | $122,090 |
| 16 | Florida | $119,150 | $63,080 | $115,820 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $118,940 | $77,270 | $102,130 |
| 18 | Illinois | $117,870 | $68,810 | $106,560 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $116,600 | $76,300 | $106,680 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $116,320 | $67,090 | $109,390 |
| 21 | Georgia | $115,940 | $67,750 | $104,340 |
| 22 | Utah | $114,880 | $60,680 | $108,090 |
| 23 | Arizona | $111,950 | $65,200 | $107,240 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $111,260 | $75,310 | $102,440 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $110,810 | $63,340 | $106,850 |
| 26 | Idaho | $110,220 | $63,980 | $89,380 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $109,880 | $73,480 | $100,620 |
| 28 | Nevada | $108,340 | $57,150 | $98,540 |
| 29 | Montana | $108,170 | $67,120 | $100,490 |
| 30 | Ohio | $107,160 | $61,710 | $102,630 |
| 31 | Michigan | $105,890 | $60,830 | $100,590 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $105,200 | $60,200 | $100,330 |
| 33 | Alabama | $105,180 | $59,130 | $103,120 |
| 34 | Kansas | $105,080 | $60,520 | $98,130 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $102,830 | $61,600 | $91,990 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $102,450 | $67,510 | $96,150 |
| 37 | Missouri | $100,880 | $58,960 | $97,090 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $100,840 | $61,990 | $91,760 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $98,980 | $66,230 | $98,230 |
| 40 | Indiana | $98,340 | $58,750 | $91,470 |
| 41 | Iowa | $98,100 | $56,070 | $95,830 |
| 42 | Maine | $97,500 | $60,280 | $90,880 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $94,950 | $58,690 | $86,310 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $94,160 | $49,990 | $95,850 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $90,730 | $57,500 | $85,090 |
| 46 | Alaska | $89,810 | $51,550 | $84,110 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $88,480 | $53,050 | $78,760 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $87,570 | $59,030 | $81,900 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $79,290 | $43,940 | $69,490 |
| — | National | $126,800 | $67,240 | $120,230 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 estimates, fetched 2026-09-29. Figures cover Data Scientists (cross-industry). Some states are omitted where BLS did not publish a reliable estimate.
Data Scientist vs. Related Roles
| Role | Median Salary | Primary Skills | Career Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $108,000 | Statistics, ML, Python | DS II → Senior → Principal |
| Data Analyst | $72,000 | SQL, Excel, visualization | Analyst → Senior → Manager |
| ML Engineer | $130,000 | ML systems, deployment | MLE → Senior → Staff |
| Data Engineer | $115,000 | Pipelines, infrastructure | DE → Senior → Architect |
| Business Intelligence | $85,000 | Dashboards, reporting | BI → Senior → Manager |
Data science and ML engineering have converged significantly—many senior DS roles now require production deployment skills traditionally held by engineers.
Skills That Increase Pay
| Skill | Salary Premium |
|---|---|
| Machine learning / deep learning | +15-30% |
| LLM/GenAI implementation | +20-40% (2025-2026 premium) |
| MLOps / model deployment | +15-25% |
| Causal inference / A/B testing | +10-20% |
| Distributed computing (Spark, BigQuery) | +10-20% |
| Domain expertise (fintech, biotech, etc.) | +10-25% |
| Research publications / PhD | +10-15% at research orgs |
Education and Certifications
| Credential | Pay Impact |
|---|---|
| BS in CS/Statistics/Math | Entry qualification; median start |
| MS in Data Science/Statistics | $10,000-$25,000 premium over BS |
| PhD | Research lab or quant finance; top-end premium |
| Google/AWS ML certifications | Modest signal; less than degree |
| Kaggle competitions | Portfolio signal; helps entry-level |
Graduate degrees matter more in data science than in software engineering—statistics depth and research experience differentiate senior practitioners.
Maximizing Your Data Scientist Income
| Strategy | Expected Impact |
|---|---|
| Move to FAANG / top tech | 50-100% total comp increase vs. non-tech |
| Develop ML engineering skills (not just modeling) | Move to higher-paying MLE track |
| Build domain expertise in high-value vertical | +10-25% in finance, health tech |
| Negotiate offers using competing offers | +10-20% on initial offer |
| Specialize in AI/LLM applications | Top premium in current market |
| Consider quant finance if math-inclined | Base salary comparable; bonus significant |
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See every profession in our salary by profession guides.
Data scientist salaries are tracked in the profession salary guides hub. Compare earnings with the analyst-level role in the data analyst salary guide, and benchmark against national pay ranges at the good salary hub.
Is It a Good Career?
Poor fit for
- Math/stats averse — Core skills require quantitative comfort.
- People who hate ambiguity — Business problems are rarely well-defined.
- Perfectionists — Real data is always messy and imperfect.
- Those preferring defined tasks — DS requires self-direction and scoping.
- Non-coders — Python proficiency is non-negotiable.
- Those wanting guaranteed outcomes — Many models fail, projects get cancelled.
- Career changers without tech background — Better to start as data analyst first.
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