Data Scientist salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 4,476 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Scientist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $123,531 |
| 25th | $148,699 |
| 50th (median) | $174,304 |
| 75th | $205,000 |
| 90th | $241,600 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $141,586 | $120,000 | $160,000 | 525 |
| FY2021 | $145,000 | $124,547 | $163,650 | 639 |
| FY2022 | $151,700 | $130,894 | $170,893 | 995 |
| FY2023 | $156,900 | $131,313 | $181,828 | 1,583 |
| FY2024 | $170,000 | $147,175 | $193,473 | 1,803 |
| FY2025 | $171,337 | $148,699 | $197,738 | 2,538 |
| FY2026 | $179,000 | $161,517 | $215,000 | 1,938 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Data Scientist salary of $174,304 is worth about $157,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Data Scientists in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $185,080 in May 2025 (6,060 employed). The H-1B median here is $174,304, 6% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| $192,000 | 484 | |
| Walmart | $171,337 | 391 |
| TikTok | $215,000 | 358 |
| Amazon | $172,900 | 263 |
| Adobe | $188,000 | 253 |
| Apple | $175,827 | 221 |
| $180,128 | 219 | |
| ByteDance | $228,000 | 183 |
| PayPal | $189,817 | 117 |
| Microsoft | $190,000 | 103 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $123,531 | 599 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $174,304 | 1,231 |
| Senior · Level III | $210,000 | 582 |
| Expert · Level IV | $257,000 | 368 |
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 | $123,531 | $123,531 | 599 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $148,699 | $174,304 | 1,231 |
| Senior · Level III | $180,128 | $210,000 | 582 |
| Expert · Level IV | $211,536 | $257,000 | 368 |
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.