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Hiring a data scientist: the market today

The short answer ·

592 open postings ask for a data scientist as of Sep 25, 2026, from 91 employers. The median advertised minimum is $99,000. 253 of those postings are new in the last 30 days, so expect competition.

592open postings
91employers hiring
$99,000median advertised minimum
253new in 30 days

Who you're competing with

Booz Allen Hamilton230
Leidos69
Guidehouse28
Peraton24
OpenAI17

Open postings · Ayla, 2026-09-25

What it pays

Lower quartile$77,600
Median$99,000
Upper quartile$120,600
Federal average, series 1560$145,781

Advertised minimum, 396 postings with pay · OPM actual pay, Jul 2026

Questions buyers ask

How hard is it to hire a data scientist?

Competitive. 91 employers are hiring the role right now, led by Booz Allen Hamilton with 230 open postings.

What should I pay a data scientist?

Advertised minimums center on $99,000. Federal staff in series 1560 average $145,781 in actual pay.