Data Scientist Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Data Scientists in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $129,740 a year — 8% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $90,420 take-home, or $7,535 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median data scientist salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$19,872
- Social Security (6.2%)$8,044
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,881
- California income tax$7,836
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,687
- Take-home pay$90,420
Marginal rate: 24% federal + 9.30% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Data Scientist pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $71,080 | $34.17 | $55,436 | $4,620 |
| 25th percentile | $91,350 | $43.92 | $67,641 | $5,637 |
| Median (50th) | $129,740 | $62.38 | $90,420 | $7,535 |
| 75th percentile | $168,420 | $80.97 | $112,758 | $9,397 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $208,280 | $100.13 | $137,177 | $11,431 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $129,740 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median data scientist's $90,420 take-home pay has the buying power of $79,619 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Data Scientist jobs are about as common in Los Angeles, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.93).
Best-paying cities for data scientists, adjusted for cost of living
Los Angeles, CA ranks #18 of 23 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $164,740 | $123,866 | $111,457 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $185,080 | $122,415 | $110,860 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $127,360 | $98,317 | $100,256 |
| 4 | Charlotte, NC | $132,460 | $97,026 | $99,669 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $170,110 | $113,734 | $98,375 |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | $127,750 | $98,583 | $95,628 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $129,780 | $92,616 | $88,355 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $132,040 | $95,133 | $87,870 |
| 18 | Los Angeles, CA | $129,740 | $90,420 | $79,619 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 23 metros →
About the job: data scientists
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +34.6% (much faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Data Scientist salaries elsewhere in California
- San Jose, CA — $185,080
- San Francisco, CA — $170,110
- San Diego, CA — $130,990
- Sacramento, CA — $103,700
Frequently asked questions
How much does a data scientist make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median data scientist salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $129,740 a year, or about $62.38 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $91,350 and $168,420.
What is a data scientist’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $129,740 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $90,420 a year ($7,535 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $9,523 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a data scientist?
Pay here is 8% above the national median of $120,230. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $79,619 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #18 of 23 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a data scientist afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 30% of a median data scientist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Los Angeles, CA
- Software Developer — $160,920
- Computer Network Architect — $147,510
- Information Security Analyst — $129,630
- Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester — $122,210
- Computer Systems Analyst — $121,560
- Computer Occupations, All Other — $109,700
- Computer Programmer — $107,090
- Web and Digital Interface Designer — $106,550
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator — $106,290
- Operations Research Analyst — $98,270
- Computer User Support Specialist — $75,070
- Computer Network Support Specialist — $57,220