Junior Data Scientist Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$83,000
estimated national base salary
$70,000 to $97,000. Last updated September 2026.
Orbyt prices 8 titles at this same figure, including Junior Machine Learning Engineer, Junior Data Scientist, and Junior Deep Learning Engineer. Orbyt does not hold title-level wage data that would separate them.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $120,230 for Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) across the United States, based on 262,440 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$67,240
25th percentile
$85,660
Median
$120,230
75th percentile
$158,880
90th percentile
$199,130
Workers surveyed
262,440
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$112,590
May 2025 release
$120,230
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $83,000 is 31% lower than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Data Scientists covers a different population than the Junior Data Scientist title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
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 Junior Data Scientist specifically. The national 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 15-2051Highest Paying
$117,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$87,000
Detroit, MI
Lowest Paying
$64,000
Charleston, WV
The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers. Last updated September 2026. This role maps to BLS occupation code 15-2051. Full methodology.
Orbyt estimates the average Junior Data Scientist salary in the United States at $83,000 in 2026, within a range of $70,000 to $97,000. 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. This figure is not specific to this title: Orbyt prices 8 titles at the same estimate. San Jose is the highest of the 81 cities at $117,000, while Detroit offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Junior Data Scientist compensation is driven by publication record, domain specialization, and whether the work involves production model training or applied research.
Junior Data Scientist salary by city.
Skills that increase Junior Data Scientist pay.
The premiums below are Orbyt's modelled scenarios for Junior Data Scientists, not effects measured from job postings: each is a fixed percentage applied to the estimated base. At the top premium that works out to $11,620 a year.
≈ +$11,620 per year
≈ +$10,790 per year
≈ +$9,960 per year
≈ +$9,130 per year
≈ +$8,300 per year
≈ +$8,300 per year
≈ +$8,300 per year
≈ +$7,470 per year
What you should know.
Junior Data Scientist compensation is driven by publication record, domain specialization, and whether the work involves production model training or applied research. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 12% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Junior Data Scientists specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.
Junior Data Scientists progress Research Engineer → Senior → Staff → Principal → Distinguished over 8 to 15 years. Frontier-AI labs compress this ladder — a strong PhD can land at L5/Senior directly. The VP Research track diverges around year 10 for those who choose to lead labs. Junior Data Scientists specifically are entry-level; the first 2 to 3 years build foundational skills before the mid-level transition.
Total compensation for Junior Data Scientists runs roughly $113K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~12% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Junior Data Scientists typically earn $75,000 (10% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
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Common questions about Junior Data Scientist pay.
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