Salary comparison · 2026
Data Scientist salary by country
The pay gap between the highest and lowest market for the same data scientist role is 2.6x. Employer location is the single biggest salary lever in this career.
A data scientist earns the most in Switzerland, with a 2026 median of $135,000 per year, and the least of these 12 markets in Spain at $52,000. Full comparison below, entry level to senior.
| Country | Entry | Median | Senior | Local median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $80k | $135k | $225k | CHF 120k | Details → |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $78k | $130k | $220k | $130k | Details → |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | $66k | $110k | $185k | AED 405k | Details → |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $62k | $105k | $175k | A$160k | Details → |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $62k | $105k | $175k | S$140k | Details → |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $59k | $98k | $165k | C$135k | Details → |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $48k | $81k | $135k | €75k | Details → |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $48k | $79k | $135k | €73k | Details → |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $47k | $78k | $130k | £62k | Details → |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $47k | $78k | $130k | €72k | Details → |
| 🇫🇷 France | $41k | $68k | $115k | €63k | Details → |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $31k | $52k | $87k | €48k | Details → |
Career guide
How to become a data scientist
What data scientists really earn in the US, UK and EU, what the job involves day to day, and the realistic route in, degree or not.
Read the full profile →
Free tool
Am I paid enough as a data scientist?
Put your own salary into the calculator and see where you sit against the market for your country and level.
Open the calculator →
Gross annual estimates from the Paygrade research dataset, updated 7 July 2026. Method explained on the methodology page.