A senior individual-contributor data scientist who sets analytical direction for a product area and leads the hardest experiments, models and metrics work. Levels.fyi company pages (Meta, Google) puts typical pay at $486,000 a year (2026). BLS does not publish separate figures for data scientists; it counts them within data scientist (SOC 15-2051), whose median pay is $120,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 15-2051
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Staff Data Scientist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $120,230a year, or $57.80/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $67KTop 10% $199K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +34.6%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+34.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +34.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 24,800275,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025275.6K
- Projected 2035371K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 275.6K Projected 2035 371K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Principal Data Scientist, Lead Data Scientist, Senior Staff Data Scientist, Staff Product Data Scientist.
Pay
How much do Data Scientists make?
Industry-reported pay
$486,000
Total compensation (base, bonus and stock) at the staff data scientist level, US: Meta IC6 and Google L6 (Staff Data Scientist), self-reported; big tech only.
- Top earners
- $488,000
Source: Levels.fyi company pages (Meta, Google), 2026 (estimate from several industry sources). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts data scientists within data scientist, whose pay is shown below. Levels.fyi: Meta Data Scientist Salaries · Levels.fyi: Google Data Scientist Salaries
Every staff data scientist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$120,230
Middle half earn $85,660 to $158,880
- 10th
- $67,240
- 25th
- $85,660
- 75th
- $158,880
- 90th
- $199,130
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $67,240 |
| 25th | $85,660 |
| Median | $120,230 |
| 75th | $158,880 |
| 90th | $199,130 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $120,230
- Median hourly wage
- $57.80/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $126,800
- People employed
- 262,440
Versus all US occupations
At $120,230, Data Scientists earn 136% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $69,250 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $199,130 or more while the bottom 10% earn $67,240, a gap of 3.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 84% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $163,350, and still leads at $152,645 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Data Scientists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $163,350 | $152,645 | 9,600 |
| 2California | $141,590 | $127,881 | 39,310 |
| 3Maryland | $136,370 | $129,927 | 3,340 |
| 4New Jersey | $135,280 | $124,333 | 6,430 |
| 5Massachusetts | $131,750 | $124,578 | 9,420 |
| 6New York | $130,460 | $120,885 | 23,970 |
| 7Minnesota | $128,800 | $130,601 | 4,020 |
| 8Vermont | $127,070 | $129,719 | 200 |
| 9District of Columbia | $126,490 | $115,094 | 2,680 |
| 10Virginia | $126,430 | $125,049 | 8,920 |
Job outlook
Is Staff Data Scientist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +34.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Data Scientists | +34.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Data Scientists to change 34.6% over 2025–2035, roughly 9.9× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 95,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 24,800 openings are projected each year, 9.0% of the 275,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Staff Data Scientist
Most staff data scientists hold a master's degree or doctorate in statistics, economics, computer science or another quantitative field, followed by years as a data scientist and senior data scientist. Mastery of SQL, Python or R, experimental design and causal inference is expected.
Promotion comes from a track record of analysis that changed product or business decisions, plus leadership across teams. Data scientists usually get there by owning a high-visibility metric or experimentation program, publishing internal methodology guides and mentoring colleagues. Some move up by joining another company at the staff level.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Staff Data Scientist do?
Staff data scientists are the most senior hands-on data scientists below the principal level at tech and data-driven companies. They own the analytical strategy for a large product area: which metrics define success, how experiments should be designed and read, and which questions the business should be asking of its data.
They take on the problems junior colleagues cannot easily solve, such as measuring the effect of a change when a clean A/B test is impossible, building forecasting models executives rely on, or reconciling conflicting metrics across teams. They spend a lot of time influencing decisions: presenting findings to leaders, reviewing other analysts' work and setting standards for methodology. Many also mentor senior data scientists.
Day-to-day tasks
- Define success metrics for a large product area
- Design and review experiments and their analysis plans
- Apply causal inference methods when randomized tests are not possible
- Build forecasting and decision models used by leadership
- Present findings and recommendations to executives
- Set methodology standards and review other data scientists' work
- Mentor senior data scientists and analysts
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Staff data scientists work at technology companies, marketplaces, banks, insurers and retailers. The role is desk-based and often hybrid or remote, split between deep analysis, writing, reviews and meetings with product and business leaders. Deadlines cluster around planning cycles and major product launches.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Mathematics4.4
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Active Learning3.6
- Active Listening3.5
- Writing3.5
- Monitoring3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.5 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Programming3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Time Management3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Coordination2.9
- Persuasion2.8
- Instructing2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Programming | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Persuasion | 2.8 |
| Instructing | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise system management software · in demand
- File versioning software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Staff Data Scientist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICE) built on O*NET's Data Scientist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Staff Data Scientist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative7.0
- Conventional5.7
- Enterprising2.9
- Artistic2.6
- Realistic2.2
- Social1.7
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Staff Data Scientist
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Office and Administrative Support
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with data scientists highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Staff Data Scientist$120,230
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Web Designer$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Staff Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Staff Data Scientist appears on
Questions
Staff Data Scientist: frequently asked questions
How much do Data Scientists make?
Levels.fyi company pages (Meta, Google) reports $486,000 (total compensation (base, bonus and stock) at the staff data scientist level, US: Meta IC6 and Google L6 (Staff Data Scientist), self-reported; big tech only, 2026), with top earners around $488,000. BLS does not publish a separate wage for data scientists. It counts them within data scientist, whose median pay is $120,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $85,660 and $158,880, and the top 10% earn $199,130 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Staff Data Scientist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Data Scientists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Staff Data Scientist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 34.6% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 24,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Staff Data Scientist do?
Staff data scientists are the most senior hands-on data scientists below the principal level at tech and data-driven companies. A typical task: define success metrics for a large product area. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Data Scientists the most?
The highest state medians for Data Scientists are Washington ($163,350), California ($141,590), Maryland ($136,370) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Staff Data Scientist?
O*NET scores Data Scientists highest on the Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with INTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.