Data Scientist Salaries Around the World

More than a decade ago, Harvard Business Review (HBR) dubbed data science “The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century.” They went on to mention that there was a shortage of data scientists in many sectors, which meant the demand for these professionals would increase. Moreover, according to HBR, data scientist salaries would be highly competitive—even for those at smaller companies and startups.

Twelve years later, the industry has evolved. The amount of data generated by businesses has increased exponentially, leading to more demand for different types of professionals within the field. Roles have been developed for data engineers, machine learning engineers, and analysts.

This shift has led many people to ask if data science is still a career worth pursuing in 2024 and whether the field will pay as well as it did before. There has also been some concern about the increase in competition in data science, as some people believe that the industry has become highly saturated.

In this article, we will discuss the salaries of data scientists worldwide and break them down by industry, skills, and job level. Based on where you live, we’ll help you decide whether it is still worth becoming a data scientist in 2024.

You can also find out about data analyst salaries around the world and the top data analyst careers in separate articles. 

Data Scientist Salaries by Country

Let’s start by breaking down how much data scientists get paid in different countries.

It’s worth noting that salary data can be difficult to represent accurately, given that they can vary massively depending on the role, organization, and individual. Even within a country, salaries vary greatly, and data may not always be representative. However, we’ve cited our sources and suggest looking at a range of roles in your area if you’re applying for data scientist jobs. All salaries are given in the local currency. 

Data scientist salary in the United States

The average base annual salary for a data scientist in the United States is $113,340, almost double the national average of $55,640. In comparison, software engineers average $90,388 annually, and computer scientists are paid $95,136.

Let’s break this down by state.

In California, the average salary of a data scientist is $134,027, 16% higher than the national average. In New York, this number increases to $144,761. 

Data scientists in New Jersey get paid $110.987 annually, and in San Francisco, this number rises to $144,453. 

Data scientist salary in the United Kingdom

Data scientists in the UK are also paid significantly more than skilled professionals in other fields. The average data scientist's income in the UK is £51,250 annually. 

In comparison, software engineers in the country earn a base salary of £46,831, while web developers make £31,926 each year.

London is the highest-paying city in the UK, with an average salary of £60,810 annually. Edinburgh, where data scientists are paid £45,448, and Cambridge, with a base pay of £40,038, follow closely.

Data scientist salary in India

The demand for data scientists in India is at an all-time high. Analytics Insights states that India will capture 32% of the big data market worldwide and generate USD 20 billion by 2026.

Companies like Google, Deloitte, TCS, and EY are constantly looking for data scientists to hire in India. 

The average base pay for a data scientist in the country is ₹11,24,572, although this number varies by company and job seniority. According to Indeed, senior data scientists can earn up to ₹16,26,352 annually.

Data scientist salary in Canada

The average data scientist's salary in Canada is approximately $96,481 per year. Toronto is one of the highest-paying cities for data science, with an average base salary of $98,753.

This is followed by Mississauga, where data scientists are paid $117,094 annually, and Vancouver, where they are paid $99,823.

Data scientist salary in Australia

Data scientist salaries in Australia are generally very high, with an average base salary of $114,521 annually. This is almost double the national average of $73,474 annually, making Australia one of the best places to become a data scientist.

In comparison, software engineers are paid $101,893, computer scientists earn $93,353 annually, and web developers earn $79,140.

Data scientists in Sydney earn $108,968 yearly, while those in Melbourne earn $113,446.

Data scientist salary in Germany

Data scientists in Germany earn around €68,000 yearly, which is higher than the national average of €50,250. Data scientists make more than other technical professionals like software engineers, who earn €65,000 annually.

Data scientists in Berlin are paid very well, with an average salary of €97,496 per year. They make around €65,000 in Munich and €60,780 in Hamburg.

Data scientist salary in Singapore

According to the Robert Half Salary Guide, data scientists are now one of the top five in-demand hiring roles in Singapore. Data professionals in the country are rewarded handsomely since many of the world’s top tech firms reside there.

The average base pay for data scientists in Singapore is $109,983, which is higher than the national average of $46,200.

Data Scientist Salaries at Top Companies

Salaries at top tech companies like Netflix, Google, and Meta are always higher than the average market rate. Here is a list of data science salaries in these firms:

Data scientist salary at Netflix

According to Glassdoor, Netflix's average salary for data scientists is $176,000, much higher than the national average salary in the US. Furthermore, this is just the base salary, on top of which Netflix employees enjoy benefits like bonuses, flexible working hours, paid parental leave, free rideshare services, and a stock option program.

Data scientist salary at Meta

Data scientists at Meta are paid even more than those at Netflix, with an average salary of $170,000 annually. Recently, the organization has also opened up remote work to employees at all levels. They have even started allowing employees to relocate and work from different countries, allowing for greater job flexibility than ever before.

Data scientist salary at Google

Google pays data scientists approximately $139,070 annually. While Google does not allow complete remote work as Meta does, the company still offers some lucrative benefits such as bonuses, financial coaching, a hybrid work model, educational reimbursement, and well-being classes.

Data scientist salary at Apple

Apple's data scientists earn $179,000 each year. Like Google, Apple has adopted a hybrid work model that allows for better work flexibility. The company also provides employee benefits such as stock grants, reimbursement of tuition fees, discounts on Apple products, flexible medical plans, and free online classes.

Data scientist salary at Microsoft

Microsoft pays data scientists approximately $155,000 annually. Employees also get benefits like remote work, flexible work schedules, financial assistance for tuition expenses, stock purchase plans, a loan refinancing program, and employee resource groups.

Data Scientist Career Progression

If you apply for a data science job after completing your education, you will typically be hired as a junior or mid-level data scientist depending on the company. As you gain more seniority, you will progress into more mature roles and eventually lead a data science team.

Here is what the career progression of a data scientist looks like:

Data Scientist / Junior Data Scientist

If you are just starting out and don’t have a Master's degree or a PhD, you will likely be hired as a junior data scientist. Here, you will shadow seniors in the team and learn to apply data science techniques to solve business problems. 

The estimated salary of a professional at this level is $77,280, although this can vary based on education level and previous work experience.

Senior Data Scientist

After 3-4 years of experience in the field, data scientists typically get promoted to a senior position. At this stage, they are given more responsibility and should be able to implement end-to-end projects themselves. 

The estimated median salary of a senior data scientist is $132,569.

Data Science Manager

Senior data scientists may become managers after 5-7 years in the industry. Managers are responsible for supervising teams and overseeing the completion of data science projects. 

On average, data science managers are paid $145,858 annually.

Principal Data Scientist 

Principal data scientists are the highest-ranking data scientists in a company. They manage junior and senior data scientists and oversee the direction of the entire team. It can take employees up to 10-12 years to become principal data scientists.

Principal data scientists make approximately $179,891 annually.

Salary Comparison Between Data Science Roles

Let's explore how data scientist salaries compare to other jobs in data science. 

Data Scientist vs Data Engineer 

While data scientists earn approximately $123,137 annually, data engineers make around $127,315. 

This difference becomes even smaller when you consider large tech companies like Google, where data scientists are paid $168,000 and data engineers earn $167,000 each year.

Data Scientist vs Data Analyst

According to Glassdoor, data analysts are paid considerably less than data scientists, with an annual salary of $78,293. 

However, this number is skewed as many analysts solely work with Excel files and cannot code. If you pick up skills like SQL and Python programming as a data analyst, your income will increase.

For example, Google's data analysts earn approximately $142,000 annually, which is lower than their data scientist and data engineer salaries but far higher than the national average.

Data Scientist vs Machine Learning Engineer

According to Indeed, the base salary for a machine learning engineer is $161,379. Surprisingly, this is higher than all other data-related roles we have covered so far, indicating that ML engineers are in demand.

Google pays its machine learning engineers approximately $177,000, which is also slightly more than their data scientist and data engineer salaries.

Read our article on how to become a machine learning engineer to learn more about the profession, why it pays so well, and how you can pursue it.

How to Become a Highly Paid Data Scientist?

Step 1: Expand your skill set

According to Sachin Gupta, co-founder and CEO of developer hiring platform, HackerEarth, data scientists must master the following skills to get hired and negotiate for a higher salary:

1. Machine learning: Data scientists must be able to build predictive models and apply them to real-world datasets. The Machine Learning Fundamentals course will teach you to do this with Python. 
2. Statistical analysis: As a data scientist, you should be able to analyze and interpret data to uncover meaningful insight. You can learn to do this with the Statistics Fundamentals career track. 
3. Python or R programming: To learn how to code fluently, take the Python Programming or R Programming course.
4. SQL: SQL is a requirement in around 65% of all data science job listings. You can take the Introduction to SQL course to learn the language.
5. Cloud tools: Many data scientists at corporate companies are required to access and manipulate data stored on the cloud. To learn how the cloud works, you can take the Understanding Cloud Computing course.

Step 2: Get certified

Becoming a certified data scientist will increase your chances of landing a job and getting paid more. We offer a Data Scientist Certification program that will assess your ability to solve data science problems. This is a great way to prove your data science knowledge to hiring managers.

Step 3: Build portfolio projects

Finally, you must show potential employers you can complete an end-to-end data science project. High-quality, creative projects will impress hiring managers and help you stand out from other applicants, allowing you to negotiate for a higher salary than everyone else.

If you don’t know where to start, here are some Python project ideas you can refer to.