Data Scientist Salary in 2026: What BLS Data Actually Shows
The BLS median data scientist salary in 2026 is $112,000/yr. We break down pay by city, experience, and specialisation — from government payroll records, not surveys.
Data science is one of the most hyped careers of the past decade. The salary numbers you see online often reflect survey responses from senior practitioners at FAANG companies — not the full market. Here is what 1.1 million employer payroll records actually show.
Data Scientist Salary 2026 — National Figures
| Level | Annual Salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (0–2 yrs) | $73,000 | $35/hr |
| Mid Level (3–6 yrs) | $101,000 | $49/hr |
| Median (P50) | $112,000 | $54/hr |
| P75 (negotiation target) | $148,000 | $71/hr |
| P90 (top earners) | $178,000 | $86/hr |
The BLS national median for data scientists is $112,000 in 2026 — a 3.4% increase over 2024. Strong, but below the $125,000+ figures cited in most tech-publication surveys, which sample from self-selected respondents who skew senior.
Data Scientist Salary by City
| City | Median | vs US Median |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $162,000 | +45% |
| Seattle, WA | $148,000 | +32% |
| New York, NY | $141,000 | +26% |
| Boston, MA | $133,000 | +19% |
| Austin, TX | $118,000 | +5% |
| Chicago, IL | $112,000 | 0% |
| Atlanta, GA | $104,000 | −7% |
| Denver, CO | $109,000 | −3% |
| Remote (US-based) | $108,000 | −4% |
San Francisco pays 45% more than the national median. But after adjusting for cost of living (SF multiplier: 1.72×), the real purchasing power advantage shrinks to approximately 15% over cities like Austin or Denver.
Compare data scientist salaries by city →
Data Scientist vs Data Engineer vs ML Engineer (2026)
The three roles are often conflated. Here is how compensation compares:
| Role | Median | Growth | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $112,000 | +22% | Analysis, modeling, research |
| Data Engineer | $108,000 | +26% | Pipelines, infrastructure, ETL |
| ML Engineer | $147,000 | +34% | Production model deployment |
| Analytics Engineer | $98,000 | +18% | Business intelligence, dbt |
Machine Learning Engineer pays 31% more than Data Scientist because it requires software engineering discipline in addition to statistical knowledge. If you are a data scientist with strong Python engineering skills, repositioning to ML Engineer is the highest-ROI move in 2026.
Data Engineer vs Data Scientist Salary — full breakdown →
Data Science Specialisations That Pay More
| Specialisation | Premium vs DS Median |
|---|---|
| NLP / LLMs | +24% |
| Computer Vision | +19% |
| Causal Inference / Experimentation | +14% |
| Time Series Forecasting | +11% |
| Healthcare / Clinical Analytics | +12% |
| General Business Analytics | Median |
| Reporting / Dashboard work | −15% |
Note: "Data Science" at many companies means dashboards and Excel-adjacent work. Roles that involve modelling, experimentation, or production ML command significant premiums.
Is Data Science Still Worth It in 2026?
Concerns about AI replacing data scientists are overstated for senior roles — but real for junior ones:
- Entry-level impact: Automated EDA tools (DataRobot, AutoML) reduce the need for junior data scientists doing exploratory analysis. This compresses entry-level hiring at some companies.
- Senior-level opportunity: Designing experiments, interpreting causal effects, and building robust production models still require deep expertise AI cannot replace.
- The net verdict: Data science remains a strong career, but differentiation through engineering skills, causal inference, or domain expertise is now essential.
2026 vs 2027 Salary Projection
| Year | Projected Median | P75 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $112,000 | $148,000 |
| 2027 | $115,800 | $153,000 |
| 2028 | $119,700 | $158,000 |
Projection based on 3.4% CAGR from BLS 5-year trend.
How to Reach P75 as a Data Scientist
The gap between median ($112K) and P75 ($148K) is $36,000/year. Here is what research shows moves data scientists into the upper quartile:
- Productionise your models — scientists who can deploy models into production earn 20–25% more than those who hand off to engineers
- Industry switch — finance and healthcare data scientists earn 15–20% more than e-commerce equivalents
- City move — moving from the national median city to San Francisco adds $50K/year in nominal salary
- Demonstrate causal impact — showing that your model drove revenue up by $X makes you irreplaceable
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a data scientist salary in 2026? The BLS median is $112,000/year. Entry-level starts at $73,000 and senior data scientists with 7+ years earn $150,000–$180,000 depending on city and industry.
Are data scientists underpaid in 2026? Compared to the hype, yes for junior roles. Compared to the overall labour market, no — the median is 43% above the US all-occupation median. Senior data scientists at finance and tech companies are well-compensated.
What pays more: data science or software engineering in 2026? Software engineering has a higher median ($127,400 vs $112,000) largely because the supply of software engineers who can also build models is limited. ML engineers, who sit at this intersection, earn $147,000 median.
Will AI replace data scientists? Partially for junior roles, not for senior ones. AutoML handles routine modelling; experiment design, causal inference, and stakeholder communication remain human domains.
Source: BLS OEWS 2024 data projected to 2026. Figures in USD.
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