Data Scientist.
Salt Lake City.
$107,000
median salary, 5% below the national average
$79,000 to $148,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Data Scientist pay in Salt Lake City ranges from $79,000 to $148,000 in 2026. The median is $107,000, 5% below the national average. Salt Lake City anchors the Silicon Slopes tech corridor, home to companies like Qualtrics, Pluralsight, and Domo. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Data Scientist in Salt Lake City, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $103,340 for Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) in the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan area, based on 840 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$57,700
25th percentile
$78,810
Median
$103,340
75th percentile
$139,870
90th percentile
$174,990
Workers surveyed
840
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) rather than Data Scientist specifically. The Salt Lake City range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-2051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $96,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$70,000
to $86,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$91,000
to $112,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$118,000
to $139,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$134,000
to $166,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $47,000 to the total package.
Base
$107,000
Equity
$29,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$6,000
Estimated total: $154,000
Data Scientist salary by company.
Total compensation estimates include base, equity, bonus, and signing. Ranges reflect mid to senior level. Derived from public H-1B LCA filings (DOL).
How Salt Lake City compares.
Salt Lake City, UT
$107,000
Cost of living: 2% below average
National Average
$113,000
Salt Lake City is $6,000 below
Data Scientist salary by city.
Salary by role in Salt Lake City.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Data Scientist offer in Salt Lake City, understand the terrain. Salt Lake City anchors the Silicon Slopes tech corridor, home to companies like Qualtrics, Pluralsight, and Domo. The region has attracted significant venture investment and tech relocations. Utah's business friendly environment, young educated workforce, and outdoor lifestyle make it a rising destination for tech professionals seeking affordability without sacrificing career growth. Statistical depth, industry vertical, and the ability to translate models into business impact are the biggest levers. Data scientists who can deploy production ML models earn significantly more than those focused solely on analysis. Specialization in NLP, computer vision, or causal inference commands additional premiums.
Entry level data scientists with a master's degree start at $95,000 to $120,000. Mid level roles reach $130,000 to $170,000 after three years. Senior data scientists earn $170,000 to $220,000, while principal or staff level scientists at top firms exceed $250,000 in total compensation. In Salt Lake City, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity grants at tech companies add $20,000 to $100,000+ annually, especially at ML focused firms. Bonuses of 10 to 20% are standard. Some companies offer research stipends, conference travel budgets, and compute credits as additional perks. And on the tax side: utah has a flat 4.65% state income tax. Salt Lake City imposes no additional city income tax. The moderate rate combined with affordable living costs results in strong net compensation. When someone quotes you $107,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Silicon Slopes growth when negotiating. Local employers are increasingly matching 85 to 95% of Seattle or Bay Area salaries to compete for tech talent. The range for Data Scientists in Salt Lake City runs from $79,000 to $148,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Construction Manager in Salt Lake City earns $106,000 (1% less)
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Common questions.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Data Scientist Salary in Salt Lake City, UT." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/data-scientist/salt-lake-city
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