Average Data Scientist Salary

A data scientist makes around $103,930 a year ($49.97 an hour). The salary range for a data scientist can start anywhere from as low as $52,000 a year to as high as $160,000 a year.

Variations in pay rate reflect several factors, including the data scientist's industry and the number of years working in the job.

Examples of Industry Pay Rates for Data Scientists:

• Computer Systems Design averages $111,490 a year ($53.60 an hour)

• Management of Companies and Enterprises averages $107,980 a year ($51.91 an hour)

• Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services averages $100,800 a year ($48.46 an hour)

• Scientific Research and Development Services averages $109,619 a year ($52.70 an hour)

• Insurance Carriers averages $104,670 a year ($50.33 an hour)

Number of years of experience as a data scientist and pay rate:

• Entry-level data scientists (0 to 3 years of experience) start around $95,000 a year.

• Mid-level data scientists (4 to 7 years of experience) average $130,000 a year.

• A senior data scientist (8 to 14 years) averages $150,000 a year

• An experienced data scientist (15 or more years) averages $165,000 a year

Yes, data science is high-paying. The median salary for a mid-level data scientist is $130,000 a year. If this data scientist is also in a managerial role, the median salary rises to $195,000 a year.

Factors that impact the earning potential of a data scientist include the company, the industry, and the job location.

The top-paying companies for data scientists.

• Nvidia: $197,500 a year.

• Pinterest: $162,931 a year

• Lyft: $157,900 a year

• Google: $152,856 a year

• Apple: $145,974 a year

• Uber: $144,690 a year

• Walmart: $137,270 a year

• Twitter: $135,360 a year

• Facebook: $134,715 a year

• PayPal: $132,909 a year

• Airbnb: $127,852 a year

• Microsoft: $123,328 a year

The industries with the highest median data science salaries are:

• Cloud services, hosting, and CDN

• Search and social networking

• Banking and finance

Top 5 Paying Industries for Data Scientists.

• Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing averages $144,090 a year ($69.28 an hour)

• Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments averages $143,490 a year ($68.99 an hour)

• Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods averages $142,300 a year ($69.41 an hour)

• Schools and Instruction averages $139,120 a year ($68.88 an hour)

• Monetary Authorities-Central Bank averages $126,590 a year ($60.89 an hour)

Top Paying States for Data Scientists.

• California averages $129,060 a year ($62.05 an hour)

• New York averages $124,240 a year ($59.73 an hour)

• Washington averages $118,320 a year ($56.88 an hour)

• North Carolina averages $117,370 a year $56.43 an hour)

• New Jersey averages $116,250 a year ($55.89 an hour)

Top Paying Metropolitan Areas

• San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA averages $148,680 a year ($71.48 an hour)

• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA averages $1486,400 a year ($70.39 an hour)

• New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA averages $129,6250 a year ($62.14 an hour)

• Durham-Chapel Hill, NC averages $125,790 a year ($60.47 an hour)

• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC averages $124,850 a year ($60.03 an hour)

• Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA averages $121,090 a year ($58.22 an hour)

• Boise City, ID averages $120,620 a year ($57.99 an hour)