Source: https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/ Title: Data Scientist hourly rate in California, 2026 | Deftridge Summary: Data Scientist pay in California: median wage $127 an hour, typical part-time contractor rate $185. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. CA · United States · **Updated November 3, 2026** # Data Scientist hourly rate in California The market median wage for a Data Scientist in California is **$126.62 an hour**. A senior part-time contractor typically receives **$185 an hour** on Deftridge, +42% against the United States rate. **$185/hr** typical contractor rate, senior **$126.62/hr** median wage **$91-164** middle half of wages **$4,010** a month at 5 hours a week ## Data Scientist wage percentiles in California Employee wages for the role. The yellow row is the median. | Percentile | Per hour | 5 h a week, per month | Full time, per year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10th | $67.95 | $1,470 | $141,300 | | 25th | $91.14 | $1,980 | $189,600 | | Median | $126.62 | $2,740 | $263,400 | | 75th | $164.28 | $3,560 | $341,700 | | 90th | $204.63 | $4,430 | $425,600 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 36,850 people employed in the role. [How rates are built](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/). ## California in numbers What sets California apart for a Data Scientist, from the same sources as the table above. - **+42%** median wage against the United States median of $89.05 - **1st of 51** states by median wage for this role - **36,850** people employed in the role in this place - **$160.27** median wage in the San Jose metro area, the highest here - **$35** country floor: no United States rate is published below it ## What contractors receive The Deftridge rate for a Data Scientist in California by level and by format. The company adds 15% on top; you keep all of the rate shown. | Level | Per hour | Per month at 5 h/week | | --- | --- | --- | | Senior | $185 | $4,010 | | Manager | $220 | $4,770 | | Director | $250 | $5,420 | - Regular role **$185** - One-off task **$210** - Task bundle **$190** - Expert hour **$240** ## Data Scientist pay across United States Typical contractor rate for a senior Data Scientist, highest first; 4 of 51 places shown. By median wage California ranks **1 of 51**. | Place | Median wage | Contractor rate | | --- | --- | --- | | California | $126.62 | $185 | | Washington | $124.81 | $180 | | District of Columbia | $112.51 | $165 | | New York | $103.61 | $150 | ## Metro areas in California Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS). - [San Jose $160.27/hr median wage · range $136-202](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [San Francisco $153.93/hr median wage · range $119-186](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [El Centro $126.62/hr median wage · range $91-164](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [Hanford $126.62/hr median wage · range $91-164](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [Merced $126.62/hr median wage · range $91-164](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [Yuba City $126.62/hr median wage · range $91-164](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [Oxnard $119.73/hr median wage · range $83-150](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [San Diego $117.73/hr median wage · range $76-151](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [San Luis Obispo $115.94/hr median wage · range $86-149](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) - [Los Angeles $115.03/hr median wage · range $77-152](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/california/) ## Questions about pay, fees and privacy The same rules apply to every task, so they live on two pages: [Pricing](https://deftridge.com/pricing/) explains the 15% fee, prepayment and when you are paid; [How it works](https://deftridge.com/how-it-works/) covers matching, what a company sees and side work next to a job. [Data Scientist rates in every country](https://deftridge.com/rates/data-scientist/) · [Data Scientist jobs in California](https://deftridge.com/jobs/data-scientist/california/) · [Methodology](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/)