Data Scientist Salary in San Diego, CA
Data Scientists in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $130,990 a year — 9% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $91,142 take-home, or $7,595 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median data scientist salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$20,172
- Social Security (6.2%)$8,121
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,899
- California income tax$7,952
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,703
- Take-home pay$91,142
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 San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $74,110 | $35.63 | $57,286 | $4,774 |
| 25th percentile | $93,420 | $44.91 | $68,878 | $5,740 |
| Median (50th) | $130,990 | $62.98 | $91,142 | $7,595 |
| 75th percentile | $164,160 | $78.92 | $110,298 | $9,191 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $201,190 | $96.73 | $132,707 | $11,059 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $130,990 buys in San Diego, CA
Prices in San Diego, CA are 11.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.79× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median data scientist's $91,142 take-home pay has the buying power of $81,459 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 San Diego, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.09).
Best-paying cities for data scientists, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #15 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 |
| 15 | San Diego, CA | $130,990 | $91,142 | $81,459 |
*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
- Los Angeles, CA — $129,740
- Sacramento, CA — $103,700
Frequently asked questions
How much does a data scientist make in San Diego, CA?
The median data scientist salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $130,990 a year, or about $62.98 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $93,420 and $164,160.
What is a data scientist’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $130,990 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $91,142 a year ($7,595 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $9,655 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a data scientist?
Pay here is 9% above the national median of $120,230. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $81,459 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #15 of 23 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a data scientist afford rent in San Diego, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Diego, CA is $2,459 a month ($3,001 for two bedrooms) — 32% of a median data scientist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Diego, CA
- Software Developer — $163,270
- Computer Occupations, All Other — $127,600
- Computer Systems Analyst — $119,090
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator — $105,170
- Computer User Support Specialist — $74,020