Data Scientist Salary (2026)
Data scientist pay rewards production ML impact over notebooks — models you shipped and the measurable lift they drove set the band.
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Data Scientist salary by experience — Global (US-anchored, USD)
Annual figures at San Francisco (the market anchor). Min · median · max.
| Experience | Minimum | Median | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level (0–2 years) | $101k | $134k | $179k |
| Mid level (2–5 years) | $146k | $190k | $258k |
| Senior (5–8 years) | $202k | $269k | $381k |
| Lead / Staff (8+ years) | $280k | $381k | $560k |
Data Scientist salary by experience — India (INR)
Annual figures at Bangalore (the market anchor). Min · median · max.
| Experience | Minimum | Median | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level (0–2 years) | ₹5.6L | ₹9.0L | ₹15.7L |
| Mid level (2–5 years) | ₹13.4L | ₹21.3L | ₹35.8L |
| Senior (5–8 years) | ₹28.0L | ₹42.6L | ₹72.8L |
| Lead / Staff (8+ years) | ₹50.4L | ₹72.8L | ₹134.4L |
Data Scientist salary by city — Global (US-anchored, USD)
Median pay for a mid-level data scientist, by market hub.
Data Scientist salary by city — India (INR)
Median pay for a mid-level data scientist, by market hub.
What moves a Data Scientist salary
- Deployed, measured models (not Kaggle/coursework) is what separates the median from the top range.
- ML-engineering and MLOps skills push comp toward software-engineer-plus territory.
- Specialisations (NLP, recommender systems, causal inference) command a scarcity premium.
What’s your data scientist range?
These are market benchmarks. Upload your résumé and HAMRA matches the range to your actual experience and skills — free, in ~30 seconds. No card required.
Get my range — freeData Scientist salary — FAQ
What is the average Data Scientist salary in 2026?
The median for a mid-level Data Scientist is around $190k/yr in the US market (typical range $146k–$258k), and about ₹21.3L/yr in India. These are modeled benchmarks — actual pay varies with company, location, and negotiation.
How much does a senior Data Scientist make?
A senior Data Scientist (5–8 years) typically earns $202k–$381k/yr in the US (median $269k), and ₹28.0L–₹72.8L/yr in India. Lead/staff levels push meaningfully higher.
Data Scientist salary — US vs India?
At mid level, the US median ($190k) reflects US-anchored total compensation, while the India median (₹21.3L) reflects the local market. Compare within a market, not across one — cost of living and comp structure differ.
How do I negotiate a higher Data Scientist salary?
Anchor near the upper-median of your band with evidence — quantified impact, in-demand skills, and any competing interest. Knowing the market range before the conversation is what makes the ask credible. HAMRA matches this data to your own résumé so your expected range reflects your actual profile.
How this data scientist salary data is modeled
These are modeled benchmarks — built from published market ranges (levels.fyi, Glassdoor, AmbitionBox for India; levels.fyi, BLS OES, Glassdoor for the global grid) using a transparent base × role × location model, not live per-company data. Global figures are US-anchored total compensation in USD; India figures are in INR. Actual pay varies with company, stage, and negotiation — treat every number as a directional range.