Expert Data Scientist salary in Austin, TX
Based on 324 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Pflugerville.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Scientist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $144,144 |
| 25th | $148,741 |
| 50th (median) | $157,800 |
| 75th | $180,118 |
| 90th | $204,421 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $113,660 | $104,250 | $135,218 | 18 |
| FY2021 | $117,420 | $110,987 | $131,000 | 31 |
| FY2022 | $140,000 | $127,504 | $155,000 | 85 |
| FY2023 | $154,000 | $143,270 | $171,549 | 120 |
| FY2024 | $154,246 | $142,527 | $180,000 | 137 |
| FY2025 | $155,000 | $144,144 | $170,331 | 179 |
| FY2026 | $165,000 | $150,000 | $185,000 | 145 |
Cost of living
Austin's median expert Data Scientist salary of $157,800 is worth about $160,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Austin = 98.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Data Scientists in the Austin, TX area earned a median of $127,360 in May 2025 (3,730 employed). The H-1B median here is $157,800, 24% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | $148,741 | 53 |
| Meta | $187,147 | 21 |
| Dell USA L.P. | $189,552 | 16 |
| Amazon | $166,635 | 12 |
| Visa | $144,144 | 11 |
| IBM | too few | 7 |
| Deloitte | too few | 6 |
| too few | 6 | |
| Tesla | too few | 6 |
| PayPal | too few | 5 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $81,923 | 233 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $103,168 | 781 |
| Senior · Level III | $134,910 | 404 |
| Expert · Level IV | $157,800 | 324 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $76,128 | $81,923 | 233 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $100,339 | $103,168 | 781 |
| Senior · Level III | $124,530 | $134,910 | 404 |
| Expert · Level IV | $148,741 | $157,800 | 324 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.