VP of Data Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$303,000
national median salary
$258,000 to $394,000. Last updated July 2026.
Highest Paying
$425,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$316,000
Tampa, FL
Lowest Paying
$230,000
Jackson, MS
Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. Most ranges are anchored to BLS OES occupation wage percentiles and placed by seniority level (entry near the 25th, mid at the median, senior at the 75th); a minority of emerging roles retain a modeled estimate where BLS has no matching series. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated July 2026. Baseline derived from BLS SOC 11-3021. Full methodology.
The average VP of Data salary in the United States is $303,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $258,000 at the 25th percentile to $394,000 at the 75th. San Francisco pays the most at $425,000, while Tampa offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. VP of Data compensation scales with team size under management, scope of organizational responsibility, and track record of hiring and retaining talent.
VP of Data salary by city.
Skills that increase VP of Data pay.
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for VP of Datas based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $42,420 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$42,420 per year
≈ +$39,390 per year
≈ +$36,360 per year
≈ +$33,330 per year
≈ +$33,330 per year
≈ +$30,300 per year
≈ +$30,300 per year
≈ +$27,270 per year
What you should know.
VP of Data compensation scales with team size under management, scope of organizational responsibility, and track record of hiring and retaining talent. Equity is a major component at roughly 45% of base — candidates should weight stock grants as heavily as salary when comparing offers. Within tech-sector VP of Datas specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.
VP of Datas 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. For VP of Datas specifically, the seniority anchor means roughly 12+ years of experience and demonstrated P&L or strategic leadership.
Total compensation for VP of Datas runs roughly $463K at median when factoring base + equity (45% of base annually) + bonus (25% of base). Equity is the single largest non-base component — candidates should model vesting schedules (typically 4-year with 1-year cliff) and compare grant values across offers carefully. 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.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote VP of Datas typically earn $288,000 (5% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
Are you a VP of Data?
Share your real compensation anonymously. Help build the most accurate salary dataset for this role. Your data is never individually exposed.
Common questions about VP of Data pay.
Related tools