Data Scientist Salary in San Francisco, CA
Data Scientists in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median $170,110 a year — 41% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $113,734 take-home, or $9,478 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median data scientist salary in San Francisco, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$29,560
- Social Security (6.2%)$10,547
- Medicare (1.45%)$2,467
- California income tax$11,591
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$2,211
- Take-home pay$113,734
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 Francisco, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $99,170 | $47.68 | $72,314 | $6,026 |
| 25th percentile | $130,430 | $62.71 | $90,819 | $7,568 |
| Median (50th) | $170,110 | $81.78 | $113,734 | $9,478 |
| 75th percentile | $212,970 | $102.39 | $140,134 | $11,678 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $272,430+ | $130.98 | $173,256 | $14,438 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $170,110 buys in San Francisco, CA
Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.95× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median data scientist's $113,734 take-home pay has the buying power of $98,375 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
San Francisco, CA has 2.6× the national concentration of data scientist jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for data scientists, adjusted for cost of living
San Francisco, CA ranks #5 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 |
*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 Diego, CA — $130,990
- Los Angeles, CA — $129,740
- Sacramento, CA — $103,700
Frequently asked questions
How much does a data scientist make in San Francisco, CA?
The median data scientist salary in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $170,110 a year, or about $81.78 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $130,430 and $212,970.
What is a data scientist’s take-home pay in San Francisco, CA?
On the median $170,110 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $113,734 a year ($9,478 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $13,802 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Francisco, CA a good place to work as a data scientist?
Pay here is 41% above the national median of $120,230. Local prices are 15.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $98,375 would in a typical U.S. city. San Francisco, CA ranks #5 of 23 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a data scientist afford rent in San Francisco, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco, CA is $2,620 a month ($3,187 for two bedrooms) — 28% of a median data scientist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Francisco, CA
- Software Developer — $186,640
- Computer Network Architect — $166,760
- Web and Digital Interface Designer — $163,810
- Information Security Analyst — $162,310
- Computer Occupations, All Other — $161,700
- Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester — $134,630
- Computer Systems Analyst — $134,460
- Computer Programmer — $130,730
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator — $129,680
- Computer Network Support Specialist — $101,600
- Computer User Support Specialist — $89,440