Data Scientists: salaries by company (2026)
The median base salary for data scientists in 17,933 certified H-1B filings is $129,854, with the middle half between $99,840 – $166,400.
Highest-paying employers
Employers with at least 20 filings for this occupation, ranked by median base salary.
| Employer | Median base | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | $322,500 | $255,000 – $340,000 | 22 |
| Netflix | $275,850 | $174,304 – $275,850 | 47 |
| ByteDance | $273,000 | $174,900 – $332,500 | 63 |
| TikTok | $215,000 | $174,304 – $272,000 | 145 |
| TT Commerce & Global Services | $210,967 | $165,185 – $260,000 | 122 |
| Salesforce | $208,000 | $168,086 – $244,748 | 31 |
| Atlassian US | $205,000 | $180,000 – $230,000 | 20 |
| $196,000 | $180,000 – $218,000 | 269 | |
| Meta | $189,404 | $174,170 – $218,949 | 374 |
| $185,112 | $174,304 – $193,978 | 196 | |
| eBay | $181,320 | $151,726 – $197,976 | 24 |
| McKinsey & Company | $180,000 | $141,700 – $205,588 | 57 |
| Microsoft | $180,000 | $162,686 – $197,414 | 436 |
| PayPal | $180,000 | $150,000 – $200,661 | 102 |
| Adobe | $178,537 | $160,500 – $209,000 | 138 |
Employers with the most filings
| Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Capital One | 848 | $115,939 |
| Amazon | 747 | $145,300 |
| Microsoft | 436 | $180,000 |
| Meta | 374 | $189,404 |
| Walmart | 288 | $172,170 |
| 269 | $196,000 | |
| JPMorgan Chase | 222 | $147,150 |
| 196 | $185,112 | |
| TikTok | 145 | $215,000 |
| Adobe | 138 | $178,537 |
By state
| State | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| California | $174,304 | 3,541 |
| Texas | $105,279 | 2,611 |
| New York | $145,000 | 1,901 |
| Washington | $163,331 | 1,492 |
| Virginia | $115,939 | 889 |
| Illinois | $119,558 | 848 |
| New Jersey | $125,000 | 846 |
| Massachusetts | $134,220 | 702 |
| Georgia | $114,754 | 572 |
| North Carolina | $114,000 | 515 |
| Pennsylvania | $104,832 | 443 |
| Florida | $103,500 | 442 |
Take-home pay
In California, where most of these filings are, the median base of $129,854 leaves about $90,502 a year ($7,542 a month) after federal, FICA and state taxes for a single filer. See the California paycheck calculator for your own numbers.
About this data
- Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification, LCA disclosure data for FY2026 Q1–Q3 (decisions Oct 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026). Only certified H-1B applications for full-time positions are counted (384,130 filings).
- Each figure is the base wage the employer stated on the application, converted to a yearly amount. Bonuses, stock (RSUs) and benefits are not included, so total pay at large tech firms is usually much higher.
- An application is filed before a worker starts and can cover a range of pay; we use the lower end of that range. Not every application leads to a hire.
- Median: half of filings are above, half below. Middle 50%: the range between the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Frequently asked questions
How much do data scientists make?
The median base salary in 17,933 certified H-1B filings is $129,854 a year; the middle half earn $99,840 – $166,400.
Which company pays data scientists the most?
Among employers with at least 20 filings, OpenAI has the highest median base salary at $322,500.
Which state pays data scientists the most?
Among states with at least 20 filings, California has the highest median at $174,304.