Data Science Lead

Data Science Lead Salary

$64K

$146.5K

$200K

$145,772

/year

$70.08

/hour

Data Science Lead Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$145,772

Columbus

Ohio

$140,801

    Do you get a good deal as a Data Science Lead?

    Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

    Take The Breakroom Quiz

    Breakroom banner

    How much does a Data Science Lead make?

    As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Data Science Lead in the United States is $145,772 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $70.08 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,803/week or $12,147/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $200,000 and as low as $64,000, the majority of Data Science Lead salaries currently range between $126,000 (25th percentile) to $163,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $191,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Data Science Lead varies greatly (by as much as 37500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Data Science Lead in your area makes on average $140,801 per year, or $4,971 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $145,772. Ohio ranks number 42 out of 50 states nationwide for Data Science Lead salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Data Science Lead jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Data Science Lead on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Data Science Lead Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Data Science Lead job is above the national average. Topping the list is Fremont, CA, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $34,074 (23.4%), and Fremont, CA, furthers that trend with another $41,097 (28.2%) above the $145,772 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Data Science Lead appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 8% between Fremont, CA, and Livermore, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Data Science Lead role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Fremont, CA

    $186,869

    $89.84

    Nome, AK

    $180,830

    $86.94

    Cupertino, CA

    $179,846

    $86.46

    Berkeley, CA

    $178,489

    $85.81

    Sitka, AK

    $175,609

    $84.43

    Atlanta, NE

    $173,903

    $83.61

    Mountain View, CA

    $173,471

    $83.40

    Palo Alto, CA

    $171,791

    $82.59

    San Francisco, CA

    $171,745

    $82.57

    Livermore, CA

    $170,989

    $82.21

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Data Science Lead Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Data Science Lead job category, we found that Director Data Engineering jobs have average salaries greater than Data Science Lead jobs.

    Significantly, Director Data Engineering jobs pay $48,937 (33.6%) more than the average Data Science Lead salary of $145,772. If you're qualified, finding work as a Director Data Engineering may help you make more money than that of the average Data Science Lead position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Director Data Engineering

    $194,709

    $93.61

    Lead Database Engineer

    $122,112

    $58.71

    Data Science Developer

    $118,171

    $56.81

    Star Compliance

    $98,949

    $47.57

    Mathematical Modeling

    $56,723

    $27.27

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Data Science Lead salary across the United States as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $145,772 per year or $70.08 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.