Data Scientist Salary (2026)
The median data scientist in the games industry earns $111,964 per year with 6–10 years of experience (global, base salary in USD), with most offers falling between $90k and $140k.
Figures are based on anonymous community salary reports and public industry surveys, resolved per experience band. Rows marked model estimate have no direct survey data yet — submit your salary to improve them. See the methodology for how numbers are computed.
Salary by experience (global)
| Experience | Low | Median | High | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 years | $36,586 | $45,733 | $57,166 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
| 3–5 years | $75,974 | $94,968 | $118,710 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
| 6–10 years | $89,571 | $111,964 | $139,954 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
| 11–15 years | $92,096 | $117,002 | $143,901 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
| 16+ years | $85,875 | $122,267 | $134,180 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
Salary by region
Median base salary (USD) for the best-covered experience band per region — bands differ where survey coverage differs, so compare with the experience column in mind. The US buying power column shows what the salary is worth locally: the same nominal pay stretches much further in cheaper regions (World Bank 2023 price levels, see methodology).
| Region | Median | ≈ US buying power | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $140,398 | $140k | Industry report |
| Rest of World | $135,478 | — | Industry report |
| United Kingdom · Western Europe · Nordic Countries · Eastern Europeshared data bucket | $83,369 | $102kUnited $116kWestern $99kNordic $176kEastern | Community surveyn=2 |
| Asia Pacific | $77,921 | $112k | Industry report |
Open data scientist jobs
Know what you're worth — then go get it. Live listings on games-industry job boards:
- Data Scientist, D2C Data Science at Sony Playstationvia GameJobs.co →
- Data Science Expert at Playtikavia GameJobs.co →
- Associate Data Scientist at Scopelyvia GameJobs.co →
- Senior Data Scientist - Games at Netflixvia GameJobs.co →
External job boards — listings open in a new tab. Some links may become partner links that help fund the site.
How this compares outside games
Official government wage statistics for the closest matching occupation across all industries — useful as a negotiation reference point. These figures are not games-specific and are never mixed into the salary data above.
| Occupation (official) | Coverage | Low | Median | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientists | United States (national, all industries) | $67,240 | $120,230 | $199,130 | US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Data scientists | Canada (national, all industries) | $45,882 | $70,582 | $106,661 | Government of Canada Job Bank Wages 2025 |
Compare data scientist pay against every other role, year by year, in the 3D explorer.
Sources used on this page
- GamedevSalary.com community survey (2024) — anonymous salary reports submitted by game developers.
- 8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 — Games-industry recruitment agency salary report. Cited with permission.
- Skillsearch Games & Immersive Salary and Satisfaction Report 2026 — Annual survey by games recruitment agency Skillsearch. Cited with permission.