Director of Data Science.
San Francisco.
$290,000
median salary, 35% above the national average
$223,000 to $378,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
San Francisco is 35% more expensive than the national average. For Director of Data Sciences, that shakes out to a median of $290,000, with the full range spanning $223,000 to $378,000. Team composition, model deployment complexity, and business impact attribution are the strongest pay factors. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
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How San Francisco compares
San Francisco, CA
$290,000
Cost of living: 35% above average
National Average
$215,000
San Francisco is $75,000 above
What you should know
Here is what the Director of Data Science market actually looks like in San Francisco. San Francisco is the epicenter of venture capital and startup innovation, consistently producing the highest tech salaries in the nation. The city's concentration of AI labs, SaaS companies, and fintech firms creates intense competition for talent. Despite remote work trends, SF still commands the steepest salary premiums for engineering and product roles. Team composition, model deployment complexity, and business impact attribution are the strongest pay factors. Directors overseeing ML engineers alongside data scientists earn more than those managing analytics-only teams. Industry premiums are highest in fintech, adtech, and healthcare AI where model accuracy directly drives revenue.
Senior data scientists earn $140,000 to $175,000. Data science managers advance to $165,000 to $210,000. Directors start at $195,000 to $250,000. Senior directors overseeing multiple teams earn $245,000 to $300,000. VP of data science or CDO is the next step at $260,000 to $380,000. In San Francisco, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 35% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity grants at tech companies add $80,000 to $300,000 in annualized value. Cash bonuses of 15 to 25% of base tied to model performance metrics and business impact are typical. Signing bonuses of $30,000 to $75,000 are common due to talent scarcity. And on the tax side: california's top marginal state income tax rate is 13.3%, the highest in the U.S. San Francisco has no additional city income tax, but overall tax burden remains steep. When someone quotes you $290,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage competing offers aggressively. SF employers expect candidates to shop around, and matching or beating a rival offer is standard practice here. The range for Director of Data Sciences in San Francisco runs from $223,000 to $378,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Top industries in San Francisco
Negotiating in San Francisco
Leverage competing offers aggressively. SF employers expect candidates to shop around, and matching or beating a rival offer is standard practice here.