Data Scientists pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,110 a year or less, while the top 10% make $201,190 or more. The middle half of data scientists in San Diego earn between $93,420 and $164,160.
- $74K10th
- $93K25th
- $131KMedian
- $164K75th
- $201K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $134,470 | $11,206 | $64.65 |
| Median | $130,990 | $10,916 | $62.98 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $93,420 | $7,785 | $44.91 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $164,160 | $13,680 | $78.92 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Data Scientists salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $134,470, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $94,763 a year, or $7,897 a month and $3,645 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Diego a good place for data scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $134,470 buys what about $120,184 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.2 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 7.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Data Scientists salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 5th of 20 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($212,760).
- San Jose$212,760
- San Francisco$174,830
- Oxnard$138,630
- Los Angeles$136,700
- San Diego$134,470
- Santa Cruz$132,800
- San Luis Obispo$128,340
- Santa Maria$125,770
- Riverside$125,060
- Napa$124,390
Highest-paying cities for data scientists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($212,760).
- San Jose, CA$212,760
- San Francisco, CA$174,830
- Seattle, WA$160,460
- Idaho Falls, ID$159,110
- Kennewick, WA$157,380
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Data Scientists salary in San Diego: questions
How much do data scientists make an hour in San Diego?
$64.65 an hour on average, and $62.98 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level data scientists salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,110 a year and the 25th percentile is $93,420, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the data scientists take-home pay in San Diego?
About $94,763 a year ($7,897 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $134,470. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do data scientists earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($128,761).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 15-2051; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.09, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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