What does the top of the Data Scientist pay scale look like in California?

The 90th percentile lands at $221,080. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $177,480.

How many Data Scientists does California employ?

BLS OES counts 36,850 Data Scientists employed in California in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does California rank for Data Scientist pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, California ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for California?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within California.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Data scientist vs data analyst pay in California — what's the gap?

BLS reports them under different SOC codes (15-2051 for data scientists, 13-1161 for market/data analysts). In California, the data scientist median typically runs 30-60% above the data analyst median, reflecting heavier ML/statistics requirements, deeper SQL/Python depth expectations, and stronger industry placement in tech and finance.

Industry vs academia data scientist pay in California?

Academia and government research positions in {state} typically pay below the BLS data scientist median — often 20-40% lower at the assistant-professor or junior-research-scientist level. Industry roles (especially tech, finance, consumer internet) pull the BLS aggregate well above academic ranges.

California Data Scientist Salary: BLS $137K Median, Real $122K (2026)

TL;DR

BLS reports California Data Scientist median pay at $136,800. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $121,931.
P25-P75 spread runs $98,460 to $177,480; P10 floor $73,390, P90 ceiling $221,080.
Real wage trails nominal by $14,869 after BEA adjustment — the cost-of-living bill, mostly rents.
State ranks #3 nationally on nominal wage, #8 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.

Wage breakdown — California

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$73,390	$65,413
P25 (lower quartile)	$98,460	$87,758
P50 (median)	$136,800	$121,931
P75 (upper quartile)	$177,480	$158,189
P90 (top tier)	$221,080	$197,050
Mean	$155,450	$138,553
Employment	36,850 Data Scientists in California

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	California index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	112.2
Goods	106.8
Services	147.3
Rents	157.8

California is a high-cost state — RPP 112.2 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (157.8) and services (147.3).

After-tax take-home — California (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Data Scientist)	$136,800	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$21,650	15.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$8,750	1–13.3% (10 brackets, +1% mental-health surcharge >$1M)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$10,465	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$95,935	70.1% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$85,508	÷ (112.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the California state-tax burden means for Data Scientist take-home

California carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (6.4% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 29.9%, leaving $95,935 pre-RPP and $85,508 after the 112.2 cost-of-living index — a $51,292 gap from the headline gross.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $112,590 for Data Scientists with mean pay of $124,590 and total employment of 233,440. California sits at #3 on nominal pay and #8 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, California falls 5 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

What does the top of the Data Scientist pay scale look like in California?: The 90th percentile lands at $221,080. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $177,480.
How many Data Scientists does California employ?: BLS OES counts 36,850 Data Scientists employed in California in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does California rank for Data Scientist pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, California ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for California?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within California.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Data scientist vs data analyst pay in California — what's the gap?: BLS reports them under different SOC codes (15-2051 for data scientists, 13-1161 for market/data analysts). In California, the data scientist median typically runs 30-60% above the data analyst median, reflecting heavier ML/statistics requirements, deeper SQL/Python depth expectations, and stronger industry placement in tech and finance.
Industry vs academia data scientist pay in California?: Academia and government research positions in {state} typically pay below the BLS data scientist median — often 20-40% lower at the assistant-professor or junior-research-scientist level. Industry roles (especially tech, finance, consumer internet) pull the BLS aggregate well above academic ranges.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 15-2051, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how California Data Scientist pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.