Data Scientists salary in San Jose, CA
Median pay for data scientists in San Jose, CA: $171,800/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $98,810 – $239,200 · about 5,040 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($93,540) by +$78,260 (+84%).
What it's really worth in San Jose
With San Jose's cost of living at 113 (US=100), that $171,800 has the buying power of about $151,956 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $151,713 · median home $1,610,466 · median rent $3,625/mo.
How San Jose ranks for this job
On raw pay, San Jose, CA is 1st of the 171 metros we hold data scientists wages for. Once San Jose's cost of living is applied, it ranks 1st.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so San Jose sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in San Jose
A median home in San Jose, CA costs $1,610,466 — about 9.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $3,625/mo works out at 25% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where data scientists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to San Jose.
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Jose | Rent vs San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $163,430 | −5% | 0.9× |
| Seattle, WA | $135,610 | −21% | 0.6× |
| Washington, DC | $135,080 | −21% | 0.7× |
| Trenton, NJ | $133,960 | −22% | 0.7× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Jose | Rent vs San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $163,430 | −5% | 0.9× |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $129,010 | −25% | 1× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $128,620 | −25% | 0.9× |
| Oxnard, CA | $127,300 | −26% | 0.8× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires data scientists around San Jose
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Cisco Systems · Tech
- Adobe · Tech
- AMD · Tech
- Western Digital · Tech
- ServiceNow · Tech
Other jobs in San Jose
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 171 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.