Data Scientist Salary by US City 2026

You’re trying to figure out if that shiny data scientist offer is actually good, or if the recruiter is smiling while quietly lowballing you. And honestly, in 2026, “data scientist salary” means almost nothing unless you attach a city to it.

A $155k data scientist salary in San Francisco feels very different from $155k in Austin, Atlanta, or Chicago. Same job title, same Python, same model eval meetings, very different rent, taxes, commute, and savings rate.

This guide breaks down data scientist salary by US city for 2026, with practical numbers you can use when negotiating, job searching, or deciding whether a relocation package is worth the chaos.

Data Scientist Salary by US City 2026: Quick Overview#

In 2026, most US data scientist salaries sit between $105k and $210k, depending on location, experience, industry, and company type.

At top tech companies like Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, OpenAI, Stripe, Airbnb, Uber, DoorDash, and Databricks, total compensation can go much higher once you include stock and bonuses.

But base salary still matters because it pays your rent, groceries, student loans, daycare, and the occasional “I deserve sushi” Friday.

Here’s the broad picture:

1. Entry-level data scientist: $90k to $135k
2. Mid-level data scientist: $125k to $175k
3. Senior data scientist: $160k to $230k
4. Staff or principal data scientist: $210k to $320k+
5. AI research scientist or ML specialist: $200k to $400k+, especially at AI-heavy firms

The highest-paying cities are still clustered around major tech hubs, but the gap has changed. Remote work, AI startups, and companies opening secondary offices have pushed salaries up in places like Austin, Denver, Raleigh, Atlanta, and Miami.

What Counts as a Data Scientist Salary in 2026?#

Before we compare cities, let’s make sure you’re comparing the right thing.

When someone says, “I make $190k as a data scientist,” they might mean base salary only. Or they might mean total compensation, which includes bonus, stock, and sometimes signing bonus.

You want to break compensation into four parts:

1. Base salary: Your guaranteed yearly pay
2. Annual bonus: Usually 5 percent to 25 percent of base
3. Equity or stock: RSUs, options, or startup shares
4. Signing bonus: One-time payment, often negotiable

For example, a senior data scientist at Meta in Menlo Park could have a package like:

• Base salary: $205k
• Annual bonus: $30k
• RSUs: $120k per year
• Total compensation: $355k

A senior data scientist at a healthcare company in Phoenix might have:

• Base salary: $155k
• Annual bonus: $15k
• Equity: $0
• Total compensation: $170k

Neither person is “wrong” when talking about salary. But if you’re negotiating, always ask:

“Can you clarify the base salary range and expected total compensation?”

That one sentence can save you thousands.

Highest Paying US Cities for Data Scientists in 2026#

Here are estimated 2026 data scientist salary ranges by city, focused mostly on base salary. Total compensation can be much higher at public tech companies and funded startups.

1. San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Typical base salary: $145k to $235k
Senior base salary: $190k to $275k
Top total compensation: $300k to $600k+

No surprise here. The Bay Area is still the heavyweight for data science pay.

San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale have some of the highest salaries because this is where you find Google, Meta, Apple, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic, Databricks, Uber, Airbnb, Stripe, and Salesforce.

You’ll see especially high pay if your role involves:

• Machine learning infrastructure
• Generative AI
• Recommendation systems
• Experimentation platforms
• Search ranking
• Ads optimization
• Fraud detection
• Large-scale product analytics

The catch is obvious: cost of living is intense. A $210k base sounds amazing until a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco or Palo Alto eats $3,200 to $4,500 per month.

Still, if you can land equity at the right company, the Bay Area remains one of the strongest places to build wealth as a data scientist.

2. New York City, NY

Typical base salary: $135k to $220k
Senior base salary: $180k to $255k
Top total compensation: $280k to $550k+

New York has become a monster data science market. It is not only finance anymore.

You’ve got Google, Meta, Amazon, Bloomberg, Two Sigma, Jane Street, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Spotify, Etsy, Datadog, MongoDB, and Ramp competing for data talent.

NYC data science salaries are strongest in:

1. Quant finance
2. Advertising technology
3. Consumer fintech
4. Risk modeling
5. Search and recommendations
6. Marketplace analytics
7. AI product teams

A mid-level data scientist in NYC can reasonably expect $145k to $180k base at a strong company. Senior candidates with solid experimentation, ML, and stakeholder skills can push above $200k base.

The annoying part is the city tax and rent. If you are comparing NYC with Seattle or Austin, run the after-tax math before you say yes.

3. Seattle, WA

Typical base salary: $135k to $210k
Senior base salary: $175k to $245k
Top total compensation: $260k to $500k+

Seattle stays near the top because of Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Apple, Zillow, Expedia, Redfin, and Snowflake offices.

Washington has no state income tax, which can make a big difference. A $190k base in Seattle may feel better than a similar number in California or New York once taxes are included.

Data scientists in Seattle are often hired into:

• Cloud analytics
• Search and ranking
• Forecasting
• Logistics
• Pricing
• Azure and AWS product intelligence
• E-commerce optimization

Amazon compensation can be quirky because of stock and bonus structure, but strong candidates still get serious packages. Microsoft often has steadier work-life balance, though pay depends heavily on level.

If you like big tech without Bay Area rent, Seattle is still one of the best salary-to-opportunity cities in the US.

Data Scientist Salary by Major US City: 2026 Table#

Use this table as a practical benchmark. These are estimated base salary ranges for full-time data scientist roles in 2026.

These ranges are not magic law. If you have deep ML engineering skills, causal inference chops, MLOps experience, or AI product experience, you can beat these numbers.

If your role is more dashboarding and basic reporting under a “data scientist” title, expect to land toward the lower end.

Boston Data Scientist Salaries in 2026#

Typical base salary: $105k to $190k
Senior base salary: $165k to $230k

Boston is a strong market if your data science work touches healthcare, biotech, pharma, robotics, education, or enterprise software.

Companies like Moderna, Pfizer, Biogen, Vertex, Takeda, Wayfair, Toast, HubSpot, and DraftKings hire data scientists across product, research, and operations.

Boston is especially good if you have skills in:

1. Clinical data
2. Genomics
3. Statistical modeling
4. Experiment design
5. Forecasting
6. Python and R
7. Regulated data environments

Entry-level salaries may not match San Francisco, but senior data scientists in biotech and AI-heavy health companies can still get very strong packages.

The cost of living is high, though. Boston rent is not playing around, especially near Cambridge, Somerville, and downtown.

Los Angeles Data Scientist Salaries in 2026#

Typical base salary: $105k to $180k
Senior base salary: $160k to $230k

Los Angeles is sneakily strong for data scientists because it mixes tech, entertainment, gaming, sports, media, e-commerce, and aerospace.

You’ll see roles at Netflix, Hulu, Disney, Snap, Riot Games, TikTok, SpaceX, The Trade Desk, FanDuel, and Amazon Studios.

LA pays best for data scientists in:

• Streaming recommendations
• Ad measurement
• Gaming analytics
• Creator economy products
• Computer vision
• Marketplace growth
• Customer lifetime value modeling

A mid-level data scientist in LA can often target $130k to $170k base. Senior candidates at Snap, Netflix, TikTok, and The Trade Desk can go much higher with bonus and stock.

The city is huge, so commute matters. A great salary can feel less great if you spend two hours a day staring at brake lights on the 405.

Austin Data Scientist Salaries in 2026#

Typical base salary: $100k to $170k
Senior base salary: $155k to $220k

Austin has been one of the biggest winners from tech decentralization. Salaries are no longer “cheap Austin” salaries at serious tech companies.

You’ll find data science jobs at Tesla, Apple, Google, Amazon, Oracle, Indeed, Dell, Atlassian, Canva, and many startups.

Austin is strong in:

1. B2B SaaS
2. Electric vehicles
3. Hardware operations
4. Marketplace analytics
5. Fintech
6. Sales and marketing analytics
7. Product experimentation

Texas has no state income tax, which helps. But Austin housing is much more expensive than it used to be, so do not compare 2018 rent stories with 2026 reality.

A senior data scientist with strong product analytics and experimentation experience can negotiate hard in Austin, especially if the company is competing with remote offers from California or New York firms.

Washington, DC Data Scientist Salaries in 2026#

Typical base salary: $105k to $175k
Senior base salary: $160k to $220k

Washington, DC is a different kind of data science market. You get more government, defense, cybersecurity, consulting, think tanks, and nonprofit policy work.

Major employers include Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, Accenture Federal Services, Capital One, Amazon HQ2, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and the federal government contractor ecosystem.

DC data scientists often work on:

• Fraud detection
• Public policy modeling
• Defense analytics
• Cybersecurity
• Risk scoring
• NLP for documents
• Geospatial analysis

Security clearance can raise your market value. A cleared data scientist can sometimes command a premium, especially in defense and intelligence-adjacent roles.

The work may be less flashy than consumer tech, but it can be stable, well-paid, and mission-oriented.

Chicago Data Scientist Salaries in 2026#

Typical base salary: $95k to $165k
Senior base salary: $150k to $210k

Chicago is a solid city for data scientists who want strong pay without coastal pricing.

The city has opportunities at McDonald’s, United Airlines, Discover, Allstate, Northern Trust, CME Group, Morningstar, Grubhub, Kraft Heinz, and Walgreens.

Best-paying data science areas in Chicago include:

1. Finance and trading
2. Insurance pricing
3. Retail analytics
4. Supply chain optimization
5. Travel and airline forecasting
6. Consumer loyalty analytics

Chicago may not always match Bay Area base salaries, but your money can go further. If you land a $165k data scientist role in Chicago, that can be a very comfortable life compared with $190k in San Francisco.

Also, Chicago companies often value practical business impact. If you can explain how your model saved money, reduced churn, or improved conversion, you’ll stand out.

Fast-Growing Data Scientist Salary Markets in 2026#

Not every great data science salary is in a traditional tech hub. Some cities are becoming better deals because salaries rose faster than local costs.

Denver, CO

Typical base salary: $95k to $160k
Senior base salary: $145k to $205k

Denver is popular with remote-friendly tech workers, SaaS companies, and analytics teams.

You’ll see jobs in cloud software, energy, telecom, fintech, and healthcare. Companies like Palantir, Google, Amazon, Guild, Ibotta, and Western Union have a presence or connection to the market.

Denver is nice if you want solid compensation and actual mountains nearby. Just remember, housing prices jumped a lot over the last few years.

Atlanta, GA

Typical base salary: $90k to $155k
Senior base salary: $140k to $195k

Atlanta is strong for fintech, logistics, media, telecom, and enterprise software.

Think Home Depot, UPS, Delta Air Lines, Cox, Equifax, NCR Voyix, Truist, Mailchimp, and Warner Bros. Discovery offices.

Atlanta salaries are not usually Bay Area-level, but the cost of living can be much better. A $150k data scientist salary in Atlanta can feel pretty good.

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Typical base salary: $95k to $165k
Senior base salary: $145k to $205k

Dallas has a big corporate market, with jobs in telecom, banking, healthcare, defense, airlines, and retail.

Employers include AT&T, American Airlines, Capital One, Toyota North America, Texas Instruments, Charles Schwab, and JPMorgan Chase offices.

No state income tax helps here too. For senior data scientists who prefer enterprise stability over startup chaos, Dallas can be a smart move.

Miami, FL

Typical base salary: $90k to $160k
Senior base salary: $140k to $200k

Miami is still uneven, but it has improved for data science roles tied to fintech, crypto infrastructure, travel, logistics, and remote-first tech teams.

Companies and offices connected to the market include Citadel, Kaseya, Royal Caribbean, Chewy, Visa, Microsoft, and various fintech startups.

The big warning: Miami housing got expensive fast. If a recruiter pitches “lower cost of living,” smile politely and check current rents.

Raleigh-Durham, NC

Typical base salary: $90k to $155k
Senior base salary: $140k to $195k

Raleigh-Durham has a strong mix of research, universities, healthcare, pharma, and software.

You’ll find employers like IBM, Cisco, SAS, Red Hat, Epic Games, IQVIA, Lenovo, and major health systems.

This market is especially good for data scientists with statistics, clinical data, product analytics, and enterprise software experience.

Entry-Level Data Scientist Salary by City in 2026#

Entry-level is weird right now. Companies want “junior” data scientists with three internships, five projects, SQL fluency, Python, cloud experience, and the emotional maturity of a VP.

Still, entry-level roles exist, especially if you apply smartly and show business impact.

Here are realistic entry-level base salary targets:

1. San Francisco Bay Area: $120k to $165k
2. New York City: $115k to $155k
3. Seattle: $115k to $150k
4. Boston: $105k to $145k
5. Los Angeles: $105k to $145k
6. Austin: $100k to $140k
7. Chicago: $95k to $135k
8. Dallas: $95k to $135k
9. Denver: $95k to $130k
10. Atlanta: $90k to $130k
11. Raleigh-Durham: $90k to $125k
12. Phoenix: $90k to $125k

If you are entry-level, do not only chase the highest number. The best first job is often the one where you get real ownership, clean mentorship, and projects you can explain in interviews two years later.

A $115k role where you build models, run experiments, and present to product teams may be better than a $135k role where you rename columns in Tableau all day.

Senior Data Scientist Salary by City in 2026#

Senior data scientists make the biggest jumps when they can connect technical skill to business outcomes.

At senior level, you are not paid only to build models. You are paid to choose the right problem, avoid bad metrics, influence stakeholders, mentor others, and ship work that matters.

Senior base salary targets:

1. San Francisco Bay Area: $190k to $275k
2. New York City: $180k to $255k
3. Seattle: $175k to $245k
4. Boston: $165k to $230k
5. Los Angeles: $160k to $230k
6. Austin: $155k to $220k
7. Washington, DC: $160k to $220k
8. Chicago: $150k to $210k
9. Dallas: $145k to $205k
10. Denver: $145k to $205k
11. Miami: $140k to $200k
12. Atlanta: $140k to $195k

Senior candidates should negotiate nearly every offer. If they already decided you are the person, the first number is usually not the final number.

Ask about:

• Base salary flexibility
• Bonus target
• Equity refreshers
• Signing bonus
• Relocation support
• Remote work stipend
• Leveling review after 6 to 12 months

Which Industries Pay Data Scientists the Most?#

City matters, but industry can matter just as much.

In 2026, the highest-paying data science roles are usually in:

1. Big Tech

Companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Uber pay high base salaries and strong equity.

Typical senior total compensation: $250k to $500k+

2. AI Startups

AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity, Scale AI, Cohere, and Mistral’s US-facing teams can pay extremely well, especially for ML, research, and infrastructure skills.

Typical senior total compensation: $250k to $600k+, but startup equity is riskier.

3. Quant Finance and Hedge Funds

Firms like Jane Street, Citadel, Two Sigma, DE Shaw, and Hudson River Trading can pay huge packages, especially in NYC and Chicago.

Typical senior total compensation: $300k to $700k+, depending on role and bonus.

4. Fintech

Companies like Stripe, Block, Coinbase, Robinhood, Chime, Ramp, Plaid, and SoFi pay well for fraud, risk, growth, and product analytics.

Typical senior total compensation: $220k to $450k

5. Healthcare and Biotech

Companies like Moderna, Pfizer, Tempus, Flatiron Health, UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, and Johnson & Johnson pay well for clinical data and statistical expertise.

Typical senior total compensation: $180k to $320k

How Remote Work Changes Data Scientist Salaries#

Remote work made salary research more annoying, because companies use different pay models.

You’ll usually see one of three approaches:

1. Location-based pay: You get paid based on where you live
2. National bands: Same salary range across the US
3. Hub-based bands: Higher pay for Bay Area, NYC, and Seattle, lower elsewhere

For example, a remote-first company might offer:

• San Francisco: $190k base
• Denver: $175k base
• Atlanta: $165k base
• Raleigh: $160k base

Another company might offer a flat $175k base anywhere in the US.

If you live in a lower-cost city and land a national-band remote role, that can be fantastic. A $175k data scientist salary in Raleigh, Atlanta, or Minneapolis can beat a higher nominal salary in NYC once costs are included.

How to Negotiate a Data Scientist Salary in 2026#

Please do not say yes immediately because the recruiter sounds nice. Recruiters can be nice and still have a compensation band with room left in it.

Use this simple negotiation script:

“I’m excited about the role and the team. Based on the scope of the position, my experience with Python, SQL, experimentation, and machine learning projects, and current market ranges for this city, I was hoping to be closer to $X base. Is there flexibility?”

Keep it calm. No dramatic speech needed.

What number should you ask for?

Pick a number slightly above your real target.

If you want $170k, ask for $180k. If you want $200k, ask for $215k.

Your number should be supported by:

1. City salary range
2. Your level
3. Competing offers
4. Specialized skills
5. Business impact
6. Scarcity of your experience

For example:

• “I built churn models that improved retention by 8 percent”
• “I led experimentation for a product with 3 million monthly users”
• “I reduced fraud losses by $2.1M annually”
• “I built forecasting pipelines used across 12 markets”

That language gets attention because it sounds like money.

Skills That Push You to the Top of the Salary Band#

If you want top-city pay, you need more than “knows Python.”

High-paying data scientist profiles in 2026 usually include several of these:

1. Advanced SQL
2. Python production skills
3. Experimentation and A/B testing
4. Causal inference
5. Machine learning model deployment
6. MLOps basics
7. Cloud tools like AWS, GCP, or Azure
8. Databricks, Snowflake, or BigQuery
9. LLM evaluation and AI product analytics
10. Stakeholder communication
11. Clear business impact
12. Strong data storytelling

The last one sounds soft, but it is not. A data scientist who can explain a model to a VP without putting everyone into a coma is worth more.

Best Cities for Data Scientists by Value, Not Just Salary#

Highest salary is not always best salary. You want to look at what is left after rent, taxes, commute, and lifestyle costs.

Best for maximum compensation

• San Francisco Bay Area
• New York City
• Seattle
• Boston
• Los Angeles

Best for salary plus cost of living

• Austin
• Dallas
• Atlanta
• Raleigh-Durham
• Chicago
• Denver

Best for finance and quant roles

• New York City
• Chicago
• Miami
• Boston

Best for healthcare and biotech

• Boston
• Raleigh-Durham
• San Diego
• Philadelphia
• New Jersey metro area

Best for big tech without California taxes

• Seattle
• Austin
• Dallas
• Miami

There is no universal best city. There is only the best city for your skills, your lifestyle, your tax situation, and whether you can tolerate winter.

Final Take: What Salary Should You Expect?#

If you are a data scientist in 2026, here is the simple version:

1. Entry-level: Expect $90k to $165k, depending on city
2. Mid-level: Expect $115k to $210k
3. Senior: Expect $140k to $275k
4. Staff or principal: Expect $200k to $320k+ base in top markets
5. Total compensation at top companies: Can reach $300k to $600k+

If you are in San Francisco, NYC, or Seattle, you should expect higher salaries, but also higher costs. If you are in Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, or Raleigh, you may get a better lifestyle deal even with a lower headline number.

And if you are remote, your best move is to compare both local and national salary bands. Sometimes the best “city” for your salary is the one where your company does not adjust your pay downward.

Before you apply or negotiate, make sure your resume actually passes the first filter. Run it through JobRise’s free ATS checker here: https://jobrise.io/en/free-ats-checker/