Discover Salaries

Data Scientist
Select location
Select skill
Software

Data Scientist salary in Software startups in 2026

How much does a Data Scientist expect to make in Software startups? The average expected salary for Data Scientists in Software startups is 147k per year, with a range from 40k to 300k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Data Scientists in Software startup varies depending on factors such as location, experience, skills, and startup stage.

147.4k

Average Salary

4 years

Average years of experience

Hiring data hero image

Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Data Scientist in Software startups is $147,431, which is 10.8% higher than the average salary of $133,042 in Software startups. Data Scientist salaries in Software 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

$225,792/yr

Range $122k - $300k

Average

$147,431/yr

Range $40k - $189k

Below Average

$122,069/yr

Range $40k - $160k


Top Locations

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Software can get in Seattle, that is $249,500. This pay is 69.2% higher than the average Data Scientist salary in Software startups, which is $147,431. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Seattle (avg $249,500 per year), New York (avg $157,500 per year), Chicago (avg $130,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Seattle

$249.5k

New York

$157.5k

Chicago

$130k

 

Industries

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

Tech Stack

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Software can get with Deep Learning, that is $180,000. This pay is 35.3% higher than the average salary in Software startups, which is $133,042. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
The top-paying Data Scientist skills in Software 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 Software can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $146,000. This pay is 9.7% higher than the average salary in Software startups, which is $133,042. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.