Data Science Manager.

Where do you fall?

Salary trend

Estimated total: $242,000

The Data Science Manager landscape in Kansas City is not what most salary sites will tell you. Kansas City straddles Missouri and Kansas, creating a unique dual state job market with strong logistics, tech, and agriculture technology sectors. The metro's central location has made it a hub for distribution centers and supply chain companies. Cerner's healthcare IT presence and a growing startup scene have boosted demand for technology professionals. Data Science Manager compensation scales with team size under management, scope of organizational responsibility, and track record of hiring and retaining talent. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 12% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Data Science Managers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.

Data Science Managers at tech companies progress Manager → Senior Manager → Director → Senior Director → VP Engineering/Product over 10 to 15 years. The IC↔management crossover is common in both directions at the mid levels; above Senior Director, crossing back is rare. In Kansas City, 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 for Data Science Managers runs roughly $196K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~12% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and Kansas City adds a 1% earnings tax. Workers living in Kansas face that state's rates instead. Choose your side of the state line carefully. When someone quotes you $169,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Negotiate which side of the state line you will be based on. Your tax situation differs meaningfully between Missouri and Kansas, and some employers offer flexibility on office location. The range for Data Science Managers in Kansas City runs from $133,000 to $221,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

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