Expert Data Scientist salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 262 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Culver City, Santa Monica, El Segundo, Pasadena.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Scientist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $151,694 |
| 25th | $158,808 |
| 50th (median) | $169,003 |
| 75th | $192,025 |
| 90th | $220,493 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $125,000 | $113,250 | $135,000 | 24 |
| FY2021 | $125,000 | $115,000 | $137,790 | 46 |
| FY2022 | $150,000 | $138,616 | $167,509 | 64 |
| FY2023 | $160,000 | $143,978 | $185,000 | 95 |
| FY2024 | $157,400 | $150,000 | $183,500 | 92 |
| FY2025 | $170,000 | $156,729 | $192,467 | 140 |
| FY2026 | $167,030 | $158,808 | $191,972 | 122 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median expert Data Scientist salary of $169,003 is worth about $148,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Data Scientists in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $129,740 in May 2025 (9,850 employed). The H-1B median here is $169,003, 30% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | $169,006 | 11 |
| Capital Group Companies Global | $193,824 | 10 |
| Apple | too few | 9 |
| Snap | too few | 9 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | too few | 8 |
| Directv | too few | 7 |
| Ingram Micro | too few | 5 |
| TWG Resources | too few | 5 |
| Amazon | too few | 4 |
| Netflix | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $74,371 | 409 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $106,863 | 526 |
| Senior · Level III | $142,343 | 292 |
| Expert · Level IV | $169,003 | 262 |
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 | $69,160 | $74,371 | 409 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $101,712 | $106,863 | 526 |
| Senior · Level III | $130,270 | $142,343 | 292 |
| Expert · Level IV | $158,808 | $169,003 | 262 |
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.