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Data Scientist salary in Small and Medium Businesses startups in 2026

How much does a Data Scientist expect to make in Small and Medium Businesses startups? The average expected salary for Data Scientists in Small and Medium Businesses startups is 147k per year, with a range from 123k to 380k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Data Scientists in Small and Medium Businesses startup varies depending on factors such as location, experience, skills, and startup stage.

146.8k

Average Salary

1 years

Average years of experience

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Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Data Scientist in Small and Medium Businesses startups is $146,786, which is 45.0% higher than the average salary of $101,208 in Small and Medium Businesses startups. Data Scientist salaries in Small and Medium Businesses are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, and skill-set.

Top of market

$213,714/yr

Range $123k - $380k

Average

$146,786/yr

Range $123k - $188k

Below Average

$134,500/yr

Range $123k - $147k


Top Locations

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Small and Medium Businesses can get in Chicago, that is $188,000. This pay is 28.1% higher than the average Data Scientist salary in Small and Medium Businesses startups, which is $146,786. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Chicago (avg $188,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Chicago

$188k

 

Industries

Use the filters above to discover compensation across companies similar to yours.

Tech Stack

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Small and Medium Businesses can get with Deep Learning, that is $180,000. This pay is 77.9% higher than the average salary in Small and Medium Businesses startups, which is $101,208. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
The top-paying Data Scientist skills in Small and Medium Businesses startups of 2026 are:
  • 1. Deep Learning

    $180k

  • 2. Keras

    $145k

  • 3. SQL

    $125k

  • 4. GCP

    $120k

  • 5. AWS

    $120k

  • 6. PyTorch

    $110k

  • 7. R

    $110k

  • 8. Python

    $105k

  • 9. SAS

    $92k

  • 10. Amazon S3

    $92k


Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Small and Medium Businesses can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $146,000. This pay is 44.3% higher than the average salary in Small and Medium Businesses startups, which is $101,208. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.