How much does a senior data scientist make?

The average senior data scientist salary in the United States is $124,093. Senior data scientist salaries typically range between $90,000 and $170,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for senior data scientists is $59.66 per hour. Senior data scientist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Senior data scientists earn the highest average salary in Washington.

Senior data scientist salary

Q: What state pays Senior Data Scientists the most?

Washington pays Senior Data Scientists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $139,695 per year, or $67.16 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a senior data scientist?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a senior data scientist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in California you should be paid close to $136,608 per year.

Q: What is a good salary for a data scientist?

A good salary for a data scientist is between $100,000 to $150,000 a year. There are many factors to consider when determining what a good salary would be for a data scientist. When determining a good salary, things to consider include how much experience you have, the type of company you want to work for, and the specific technical skills you bring to the table.

Q: What is a senior data scientist's salary?

A senior data scientist's salary is $130,778 a year, on average. However, the range in how much a data scientist can make is large, starting from as little as $118,000 to as much as $240,000 a year. Factors such as experience, the company, and the location can all impact how much a senior data scientist can earn.

Quoted expert

Dr. Mark Fridline Ph.D.

Average senior data scientist salary

$124,093

$59.66 hourly rate

Entry-level senior data scientist salary

$90,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Senior Data Scientist Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Senior Data Scientist stands at $124,093 per year. This figure varies significantly based on various factors, including location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, professionals in technology and finance often command higher salaries due to the demand for advanced analytical skills.

Salary by State

States such as California, New York, and Washington typically offer some of the highest salaries for Senior Data Scientists. In California, the average salary can exceed $140,000, driven by the concentration of tech companies. Comparatively, states like Texas and Florida may offer lower averages but also have a lower cost of living.

Factors Influencing Salary

Experience: More experienced data scientists can expect higher salaries, with those boasting over ten years in the field reaching upwards of $150,000.
Industry: Industries such as healthcare and finance not only provide competitive salaries but also unique opportunities for growth.
Location: Geographic location plays a crucial role, as urban areas tend to pay more than rural regions.

Understanding these dynamics can help prospective candidates make informed career decisions and seek positions that align with their salary expectations.

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Where can a Senior Data Scientist earn more?

Compare salary by location

158k

138k

118k

98k

78k

58k

Columbus, OH$146,708

Alpharetta, GA$88,245

Compare salary by company

210k

190k

170k

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130k

Brex$187,843

The Walt Disney Company$159,794

Senior data scientist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a senior data scientist typically falls between $124,093 and $146,599.

zippia

$124,093yearly

indeed[1]

$146,599yearly

comparably[2]

$140,000yearly

payscale[3]

$131,985yearly

Average senior data scientist salary by state

The average senior data scientist salary in Washington, California, and Oregon are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior data scientist salary states are Kansas, Indiana, and Mississippi.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for senior data scientists

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Oregon	$129,222	$62.13
2	California	$136,608	$65.68
3	Washington	$139,695	$67.16
4	Alaska	$112,755	$54.21
5	Idaho	$114,456	$55.03
6	Montana	$108,250	$52.04
7	New York	$111,333	$53.53
8	Massachusetts	$109,591	$52.69
9	Delaware	$108,211	$52.02
10	Nevada	$112,564	$54.12
11	New Hampshire	$105,440	$50.69
12	New Jersey	$106,684	$51.29
13	Connecticut	$105,543	$50.74
14	Pennsylvania	$101,404	$48.75
15	Rhode Island	$107,036	$51.46
16	Utah	$102,556	$49.31
17	Arizona	$102,880	$49.46
18	Maine	$99,106	$47.65
19	New Mexico	$97,833	$47.04
20	South Dakota	$92,290	$44.37
21	District of Columbia	$101,190	$48.65
22	Texas	$97,142	$46.70
23	Maryland	$99,088	$47.64
24	North Carolina	$92,753	$44.59
25	West Virginia	$94,925	$45.64
26	Virginia	$96,351	$46.32
27	Nebraska	$94,289	$45.33
28	Vermont	$96,591	$46.44
29	Michigan	$93,615	$45.01
30	Illinois	$91,239	$43.86
31	Iowa	$92,309	$44.38
32	Ohio	$90,412	$43.47
33	North Dakota	$88,058	$42.34
34	Colorado	$92,708	$44.57
35	Missouri	$89,898	$43.22
36	Alabama	$90,314	$43.42
37	Louisiana	$90,436	$43.48
38	Minnesota	$88,599	$42.60
39	Kentucky	$87,986	$42.30
40	Georgia	$88,098	$42.35
41	Wisconsin	$86,349	$41.51
42	Arkansas	$87,167	$41.91
43	Wyoming	$86,270	$41.48
44	Hawaii	$72,557	$34.88
45	Kansas	$84,979	$40.86
46	Florida	$85,569	$41.14
47	Oklahoma	$86,527	$41.60
48	Indiana	$83,617	$40.20
49	Tennessee	$82,202	$39.52
50	Mississippi	$82,793	$39.80
51	South Carolina	$82,280	$39.56

Top senior data scientist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for senior data scientists

The highest-paying cities for senior data scientists are Richmond, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Richmond, CA	$146,708	$70.53
2	Seattle, WA	$140,678	$67.63
3	New York, NY	$111,586	$53.65
4	Wellesley, MA	$109,692	$52.74
5	Jersey City, NJ	$106,830	$51.36
6	Hartford, CT	$105,462	$50.70
7	Phoenix, AZ	$103,322	$49.67
8	Philadelphia, PA	$102,216	$49.14
9	Salt Lake City, UT	$102,045	$49.06
10	Washington, DC	$101,253	$48.68
11	Arlington, VA	$98,582	$47.40
12	Austin, TX	$98,260	$47.24
13	Bellevue, NE	$94,230	$45.30
14	Detroit, MI	$93,939	$45.16
15	Raleigh, NC	$93,848	$45.12
16	Denver, CO	$92,601	$44.52
17	Chicago, IL	$91,446	$43.96
18	Columbus, OH	$89,332	$42.95
19	Minneapolis, MN	$88,665	$42.63
20	Alpharetta, GA	$88,245	$42.43

Senior Data Scientists are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Senior data scientist salary details

A senior data scientist's salary ranges from $90,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $170,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average senior data scientist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a senior data scientist's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$170,000	$14,167	$82
75th Percentile	$146,000	$12,167	$70
Average	$124,093	$10,341	$60
25th Percentile	$105,000	$8,750	$50
10th Percentile	$90,000	$7,500	$43

Highest paying senior data scientist jobs

The highest paying types of senior data scientists are senior computer scientist, geospatial scientist, and data engineer.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Research And Development Internship	$38,489	$3,207	$18.50	154,854
Data Engineer	$109,675	$9,140	$52.73	303,105
Scientist	$97,344	$8,112	$46.80	62,467
Computer Scientist	$103,238	$8,603	$49.63	59,802
Information Scientist	$92,789	$7,732	$44.61	101,692
Data Scientist	$106,104	$8,842	$51.01	106,973

How would you rate the starting salaries for senior data scientists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Dr. Mark Fridline Ph.D.

Associate Chair, University of Akron

According to U.S News and World Reports, 2017 was the year of the statistician. In 2018 and 2019, statistician was ranked as one of the top best jobs, and 2020 continues to be rank it as one of the careers with the most job opportunities in the upcoming decade. Given the high demand for the field of statistics, high salaries continue to follow.

Top companies hiring senior data scientists now:

Which companies pay senior data scientists the most?

Senior data scientist salaries at Brex and Credit Karma are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior data scientist salary at companies like Airbnb and Netflix are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Brex	$187,843	$90.31
2	Credit Karma	$184,214	$88.56
3	Airbnb	$182,554	$87.77
4	Netflix	$180,052	$86.56
5	Coinbase	$180,001	$86.54
6	Roku	$173,478	$83.40
7	Wealthfront	$173,163	$83.25
8	SmartAsset	$172,270	$82.82
9	ByteDance	$170,143	$81.80
10	Meta	$168,751	$81.13
11	Flexport	$165,020	$79.34
12	Earnest Research	$164,224	$78.95
13	Discovery	$162,278	$78.02
14	DoorDash	$161,353	$77.57
15	Chegg	$161,294	$77.55
16	Bill.com	$161,243	$77.52
17	Twitter	$161,232	$77.52
18	TikTok	$160,914	$77.36
19	Turner Broadcasting	$160,785	$77.30
20	The Walt Disney Company	$159,794	$76.82

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$127,000$125,800$124,600$123,400$122,200$121,000

MaleFemale

Senior Data Scientist salary by industry

The average senior data scientist salary varies across industries:

The average senior data scientist salary in the start-up industry is $139,084, the highest of any industry.
The average senior data scientist salary in the finance industry is $137,125.
Senior data scientists in the health care industry earn an average salary of $113,005, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for senior data scientists

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Start-up	$139,084	$66.87
2	Retail	$137,125	$65.93
3	Internet	$135,522	$65.15
4	Finance	$126,545	$60.84
5	Professional	$121,865	$58.59
6	Technology	$121,179	$58.26
7	Health Care	$113,005	$54.33

High paying senior data scientist jobs

Senior data scientist salary trends

The average senior data scientist salary has risen by $23,938 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior data scientist earned $100,155 annually, but today, they earn $124,093 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for senior data scientists over the last decade.

Compare senior data scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average senior data scientist salary over time

Compare senior data scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Senior data scientist salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$124,000	$59.66	+3.3%
2024	$120,000	$57.69	+2.3%
2023	$117,000	$56.39	+3.3%
2022	$113,000	$54.55	+2.3%
2021	$111,000	$53.28	+1.1%

Recently added senior data scientist salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Parsons	Senior Data Scientist	Annapolis, MD	06/30/2025	$120,800
Pricewaterhousecoopers	AI & Genai Data Scientist-Senior Associate	New York, NY	06/30/2025	$84,000
Vizient	Senior Data Scientist	Chicago, IL	06/30/2025	$102,400
First American Financial	Senior Data Scientist	Santa Ana, CA	06/29/2025	$143,000
General Dynamics	Data Scientist Senior	Bono, AR	06/29/2025	$102,000
Bass Pro Shops	Senior Data Scientist-Statistics	Chicago, IL	06/29/2025	$114,665
Perspecta	SR Data Scientist	Scott Air Force Base, IL	06/29/2025	$112,000
Search	SR. Data Scientist, Product Analytics-(E	New York, NY	06/29/2025	$173,500
Playstation	Senior Data Scientist	San Diego, CA	06/29/2025	$163,900
Homeward	Senior Data Scientist, Causal Inference (Hybrid)	San Mateo, CA	06/29/2025	$140,000

Senior data scientist salary FAQs

What state pays Senior Data Scientists the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a senior data scientist?

What is a good salary for a data scientist?

What is a senior data scientist's salary?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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