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Data Scientist
Santa Monica
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Data Scientist Salary and Equity in Santa Monica 2026

How much does a Data Scientist expect to make at Santa Monica-based startups? The average expected salary for Data Scientists in Santa Monica-based startups is 195k per year, with a range from 144k to 286k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Data Scientists in Santa Monica startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.

195.1k

Average Salary

6 years

Average years of experience

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Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Data Scientist in Santa Monica is $195,100, which is 36.4% higher than the average Santa Monica startup salary of$143,083. Data Scientist salaries in Santa Monica 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

$266,400/yr

Range $237k - $286k

Average

$195,100/yr

Range $175k - $240k

Below Average

$183,000/yr

Range $144k - $240k


Industries

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Santa Monica can get in Mobile, that is $216,000. This pay is 9.2% higher than the average Data Scientist salary in Santa Monica, which is $197,722. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Mobile (avg $216,000 per year), Digital Media (avg $216,000 per year), Social Media (avg $216,000 per year).

Tech Stack

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Santa Monica can get with Numpy, that is $237,000. This pay is 65.6% higher than the average salary in Santa Monica startups, which is $143,083. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
The top-paying Data Scientist skills in Santa Monica of 2026 are:
  • 1. Numpy

    $237k

  • 2. Pandas

    $237k

  • 3. scikit-learn

    $237k

  • 4. R

    $191k

  • 5. Azure

    $187.5k

  • 6. AWS

    $187.5k

  • 7. Machine Learning

    $182.5k

  • 8. PyTorch

    $182.5k

  • 9. Python

    $175k

  • 10. Java

    $156.5k


Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a Data Scientist in Santa Monica can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $191,000. This pay is 33.5% higher than the average salary in Santa Monica startups, which is $143,083. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.