Data Scientist Salary: Los Angeles vs Austin
Same job, two cities — but the paycheck that looks bigger isn’t always the one that goes further. We compare gross pay, take-home after tax, and cost-of-living-adjusted real salary.
THE VERDICT
Even though a Data Scientist grosses $18,000 more in Los Angeles, Austin wins on what actually matters: after tax and cost of living, its real salary is $37,780 higher in equivalent buying power ($107,444 vs $69,664).
Real salary $69,664 equivalent
Entry (25th)$135,000
Median (50th)$186,000
Senior (75th)$236,000
Top (90th)$297,000
35% premium vs national median. Data Scientists in Los Angeles earn approximately 35% higher than the US national median for this role — a $48,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects Los Angeles's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Cost-of-living adjusted picture. Adjusted for Los Angeles's cost-of-living index (163), the median Data Scientist salary buys the equivalent of $114,110 in a US-average-cost city. That's $23,890 less purchasing power than the national median — the higher nominal salary doesn't fully offset local costs.
HIGHER REAL PAY
Austin, TXNo state tax
Real salary $107,444 equivalent
Entry (25th)$122,000
Median (50th)$168,000
Senior (75th)$214,000
Top (90th)$268,000
22% premium vs national median. Data Scientists in Austin earn approximately 22% higher than the US national median for this role — a $30,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects Austin's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Cost-of-living adjusted picture. Adjusted for Austin's cost-of-living index (110), the median Data Scientist salary buys the equivalent of $152,727 in a US-average-cost city. That's $14,727 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Head-to-head breakdown
| Metric | Los Angeles | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary | $186,000 ✓ | $168,000 |
| State income tax | 9.3% | None ✓ |
| Est. take-home pay | $113,553 | $118,188 ✓ |
| Cost-of-living index | 163 | 110 ✓ |
| Real salary (COL-adjusted take-home) | $69,664 | $107,444 ✓ |
Real salary = take-home pay (after federal tax, state tax, and FICA) adjusted for each city’s cost-of-living index, shown in US-average-cost dollars. Take-home uses a 22% federal + 7.65% FICA estimate plus state tax; your actual rate depends on filing status and deductions. Methodology · Updated Q3 2026.