AI Data Scientist.
St. Louis.
$133,000
median salary, 12% below the national average
$100,000 to $173,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
A AI Data Scientist in St. Louis earns a median of $133,000 in 2026. That is 12% below the national average. The range runs from $100,000 to $173,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. AI data scientists who combine statistical modeling with production ML deployment earn the highest salaries.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $120,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$86,000
to $106,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$113,000
to $140,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$146,000
to $173,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$166,000
to $206,000
Salary trend
+10% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $64,000 to the total package.
Base
$133,000
Equity
$39,000
Bonus
$17,000
Signing
$8,000
Estimated total: $197,000
How St. Louis compares
St. Louis, MO
$133,000
Cost of living: 10% below average
National Average
$152,000
St. Louis is $19,000 below
AI Data Scientist salary by city
Salary by role in St. Louis
What you should know
The AI Data Scientist landscape in St. Louis is not what most salary sites will tell you. St. Louis offers one of the most affordable major metro areas in the country, with a strong base in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing. The region's anchor employers include Boeing, Centene, and Washington University's medical campus. A growing biotech and plant sciences corridor centered on the Cortex Innovation District is attracting new investment and talent. AI data scientists who combine statistical modeling with production ML deployment earn the highest salaries. Industry sector matters significantly, with finance and healthcare paying 15 to 25% above retail or media. Proficiency in both Python and cloud ML platforms like SageMaker or Vertex AI is increasingly expected and adds 10 to 15% to offers.
Junior AI data scientists earn $115,000 to $135,000 with a master's degree. Mid-level scientists with 3 to 5 years reach $152,000 to $198,000. Senior data scientists earn $200,000 to $260,000, while principal scientists and directors of data science can command $280,000 to $380,000. In St. Louis, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation at tech companies includes RSUs worth 15 to 30% of base salary and annual bonuses of 10 to 20%. Financial services firms substitute higher cash bonuses of 25 to 50% in lieu of equity, making total compensation comparable. And on the tax side: missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and St. Louis City adds a 1% earnings tax. The low base cost of living means your after tax salary still stretches further than in most metros. When someone quotes you $133,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize your willingness to work in person at Cortex or the BJC campus. St. Louis employers offer higher packages for candidates who commit to the local innovation hubs. The range for AI Data Scientists in St. Louis runs from $100,000 to $173,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A AI Data Engineer in St. Louis earns $134,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in St. Louis is Chief AI Officer at $276,000
Common questions.
AI Data Scientist salary in other cities
Other salaries in St. Louis
Related
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget — one script tag, free forever.