Data Scientist Job Market 2026: Hiring, Pay & Remote Data
US employers posted 2,169 data scientist jobs in the 30 days ending October 15, 2026. Median posted pay is $153K, 15% of roles are fully remote and 7% are entry level. Here's who's hiring and what skills get interviews.
SIMPLEAPPLY JOB MARKET DATA · DATA SCIENCE
US job postings, September 16 to October 15, 2026
Short answer: data scientist hiring is healthy but senior-heavy, and it's turning into an AI job. In the 30 days ending October 15, 2026, US employers posted 2,169 data scientist jobs in SimpleApply's job data. The median posted salary was $152,950, 15% of roles were fully remote, and 7% were entry level.
At SimpleApply we apply to jobs for job seekers across Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS and other application systems, so we track these postings every day. Here's what the data says about the data scientist market and how to get more interviews from it.
VOLUME
2,169
US postings in 30 days
PAY
$153K
Median posted salary
SKILLS
78%
Postings asking for AI or ML skills
Key takeaways
- Senior-heavy. 51% of postings are senior and only 7% are entry level.
- AI is now standard. 78% of postings list AI or machine learning skills, and machine learning itself appears in 65%.
- Python first, then SQL. Python is in 84% of postings and SQL in 68%. R is down to 34%.
- Government and defense are big buyers. Virginia, Maryland and DC together hold about a quarter of postings with a listed state.
- Remote is limited. 15% of roles are fully remote and 17% hybrid.
How many data scientist jobs are open in 2026?
US employers posted 2,169 data scientist jobs in our data in the 30 days ending October 15, 2026. That includes data scientist titles at every level except internships and managers, with duplicate postings of the same job counted once. Related roles like machine learning engineer and data analyst are covered in their own reports.
| Level | Postings | Share | Median posted pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level | 142 | 7% | $100,000 |
| Mid level | 829 | 38% | $137,904 |
| Senior | 1,107 | 51% | $165,000 |
| Lead / executive | 91 | 4% | $189,000 |
What this means
If you're early in your career, data science is a hard door to walk through directly. Many people get in through a data analyst or analytics engineer role first, then move over. Our data analyst job market report and students and new grads page are good next reads.
Data Scientist salaries in 2026
64% of data scientist postings in our data include a salary range. Using the midpoint of each range, the median is $152,950, and the middle 50% of postings fall between $125,000 and $185,000.
The step from mid level to senior adds about $27K in median posted pay.
Most in-demand data scientist skills
Three things to take from this:
- Python is the baseline. 84% of postings list it. If it isn't obvious on your resume, many screens stop there.
- Show machine learning in production, not just notebooks. Machine learning appears in 65% of postings, and cloud tools like AWS and Spark show up as you go senior.
- R is a nice-to-have now. It appears in 34% of postings, far behind Python.
Put your strongest tools in a dedicated skills line using the posting's exact wording, and check what recruiters look for in a resume and these resume mistakes to avoid.
Who is hiring data scientists?
The most active employers in our data over the last 30 days include Booz Allen Hamilton, Walmart, Google, Apple, Amazon, RealmOne, The Home Depot, Capgemini, GDIT, Guidehouse, CACI and Capital One (staffing agencies and recruiting platforms excluded).
The mix of big tech, retail and government contractors is the story: data scientists are hired wherever there's a lot of data and money riding on decisions.
Where data scientist jobs are located (share of postings with a listed state):
| # | State | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 19.7% |
| 2 | Virginia | 13.3% |
| 3 | New York | 8.6% |
| 4 | Texas | 8.4% |
| 5 | Maryland | 7.6% |
| 6 | Washington | 7.2% |
| 7 | Illinois | 5.1% |
| 8 | Washington, DC | 4.9% |
| 9 | Georgia | 4.6% |
| 10 | Florida | 4.4% |
Are data scientist jobs remote?
Of data scientist postings in our data, 66% are on-site, 17% are hybrid and 15% are fully remote. Remote roles draw national applicant pools, so apply early and widely. More tips on our remote job seekers page.
Which application systems do data scientist employers use?
Workday hosts about 1 in 4 data scientist postings, more than for most tech roles. Oracle/Taleo and iCIMS are common too, thanks to the large employers and government contractors hiring here. SimpleApply applies directly on these systems for you, including Workday, Greenhouse and iCIMS. See how on our features page.
What this means for your data scientist job search
- Lead with Python, SQL and machine learning in the posting's exact wording.
- Show business impact, not just models: what changed because of your work.
- Look at government and defense employers in Virginia, Maryland and DC if you can get or hold a clearance.
- Don't skip Workday applications. A quarter of roles are there.
- Consider an analyst or ML engineering path in if you're early in your career.
SimpleApply finds data scientist roles that match your profile and applies for you across these systems, so you can spend your time on interviews. New to it? Here's how a personal job search agent works.
Frequently asked questions
Is data scientist a good career in 2026?
US employers posted 2,169 data scientist jobs in our data in the 30 days ending October 15, 2026, with a median posted salary of $152,950.
How much do data scientists make in 2026?
Median posted pay for US data scientist jobs is $100,000 at entry level, $137,904 at mid level, $165,000 at senior, $189,000 at lead / executive (midpoint of posted salary ranges).
Can I get an entry-level data scientist job?
It's possible but competitive: 7% of data scientist postings are entry level, and most openings are mid or senior.
What skills do data scientists need in 2026?
The most requested skills are Python (84%), SQL (68%), Machine learning (65%), R (34%), Data visualization (26%), Statistical analysis (24%).
Are data scientist jobs remote?
About 15% of US data scientist postings are fully remote, 17% are hybrid and 66% are on-site.
Methodology
This analysis uses SimpleApply's job data: US job postings with a posted date between September 16 and October 15, 2026, collected from company career sites and applicant tracking systems. Duplicate postings of the same job are counted once, and listings flagged as likely scams are excluded. Internships and manager titles are excluded. Pay figures use the midpoint of salary ranges published in the posting (estimated salaries excluded). Remote share uses the workplace type listed on the posting. Skills are those listed in each posting. Applicant tracking system share is based on where the job is hosted. Visa figures only count postings that state a sponsorship policy. Groups with fewer than 25 postings are not reported.
Published by Joe Perrotta, Founder of SimpleApply, October 2026. We update this report as new data comes in. Related reading: AI and ML engineer job market 2026 · Data engineer job market 2026 · Jobs AI can't replace
