Data Scientist hourly rate in United States
The market median wage for a Data Scientist in the United States is $89.05 an hour. A senior part-time contractor typically receives $130 an hour on Deftridge.
Data Scientist wage percentiles in United States
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 | $49.80 | $1,080 | $103,600 |
| 25th | $63.44 | $1,370 | $132,000 |
| Median | $89.05 | $1,930 | $185,200 |
| 75th | $117.68 | $2,550 | $244,800 |
| 90th | $147.49 | $3,200 | $306,800 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025; aged to October 2026; about 233,440 people employed in the role. How rates are built.
United States in numbers
What sets the United States apart for a Data Scientist, from the same sources as the table above.
- $126.62
- highest median wage, California
- $56.97
- lowest median wage, Mississippi
- 233,440
- people employed in the role
- $160.27
- median wage in the San Jose metro area, the highest in the country
- $35
- country floor: no United States rate is published below it
What contractors receive
The Deftridge rate for a Data Scientist in the United States 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 | $130 | $2,820 |
| Manager | $155 | $3,360 |
| Director | $185 | $4,010 |
Data Scientist pay by region in United States
Typical contractor rate for a senior Data Scientist, highest first; 9 of 51 places shown.
| Place | Median wage | Contractor rate |
|---|---|---|
| California | $126.62 | $185 |
| Washington | $124.81 | $180 |
| District of Columbia | $112.51 | $165 |
| New York | $103.61 | $150 |
| Massachusetts | $103.09 | $150 |
| Hawaii | $101.66 | $145 |
| Virginia | $99.31 | $145 |
| Vermont | $99.01 | $145 |
| New Jersey | $97.35 | $140 |
Highest-paying metro areas
Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS).
Questions about pay, fees and privacy
The same rules apply to every task, so they live on two pages: Pricing explains the 15% fee, prepayment and when you are paid; How it works covers matching, what a company sees and side work next to a job.
Data Scientist rates in every country · Data Scientist jobs in United States · Methodology