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Data Scientist Salary and Equity in San Diego 2026
How much does a Data Scientist expect to make at San Diego-based startups? The average expected salary for Data Scientists in San Diego-based startups is 142k per year, with a range from 85k to 238k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Data Scientists in San Diego startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
141.8k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience

Salary
The average salary for a Data Scientist in San Diego is $141,778, which is 4.7% higher than the average San Diego startup salary of$135,375. Data Scientist salaries in San Diego are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$213,222/yr
Range $180k - $238k
Average
$141,778/yr
Range $100k - $180k
Below Average
$119,056/yr
Range $85k - $148k
Industries
The highest average salary a Data Scientist in San Diego can get in Big Data Analytics, that is $249,000. This pay is 27.7% higher than the average Data Scientist salary in San Diego, which is $195,050. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Big Data Analytics (avg $249,000 per year), Semiconductors (avg $223,500 per year), Business Services (avg $200,000 per year).
Tech Stack
The highest average salary a Data Scientist in San Diego can get with OpenCV, that is $205,000. This pay is 51.4% higher than the average salary in San Diego startups, which is $135,375. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
Top Tech Stacks
The top-paying Data Scientist skills in San Diego of 2026 are:
1. OpenCV
$205k
2. PyTorch
$200k
3. GCP
$193.5k
4. SAS
$186k
5. C++
$180k
6. Java
$180k
7. Deep Learning
$175.5k
8. scikit-learn
$173k
9. Go
$167.5k
10. Rust
$167.5k
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Data Scientist in San Diego can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $208,000. This pay is 53.6% higher than the average salary in San Diego startups, which is $135,375. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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