Data Scientists salary in San Francisco, CA
Median pay for data scientists in San Francisco, CA: $163,430/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $83,130 – $218,560 · about 8,870 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($93,540) by +$69,890 (+75%).
What it's really worth in San Francisco
With San Francisco's cost of living at 118 (US=100), that $163,430 has the buying power of about $139,029 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $129,315 · median home $1,149,215 · median rent $3,258/mo.
How San Francisco ranks for this job
On raw pay, San Francisco, CA is 2nd of the 171 metros we hold data scientists wages for. Once San Francisco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 3rd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so San Francisco sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in San Francisco
A median home in San Francisco, CA costs $1,149,215 — about 7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $3,258/mo works out at 24% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where data scientists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to San Francisco.
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $171,800 | +5% | 1.1× |
| Seattle, WA | $135,610 | −17% | 0.7× |
| Washington, DC | $135,080 | −17% | 0.7× |
| Trenton, NJ | $133,960 | −18% | 0.8× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $171,800 | +5% | 1.1× |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $129,010 | −21% | 1.1× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $128,620 | −21% | 1× |
| Oxnard, CA | $127,300 | −22% | 0.9× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires data scientists around San Francisco
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Kaiser Permanente · Healthcare
- Salesforce · Tech
- Visa · Finance
- Uber · Tech
Other jobs in San Francisco
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 171 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.