Rates, 2026
What should a data scientist charge in a major city?
About $1,225 a day for a data scientist who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $900 in the first years, $1,550 when senior. A model or forecast runs about $14,875.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$900
a day · $125 an hour
Working, booked
$1,225
a day · $150 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,550
a day · $200 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,225 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$150 per hour
- A model or forecast$14,875 per project
- Monthly retainer$14,025 per month
Sold by the day, a project fee, a monthly retainer. The day is the unit; half days run 60%.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Model build$4,250 to $21,250 each
- Forecasting$2,550 to $10,200 each
- A/B test design and readout$1,275 to $4,250 each
- Data pipeline$3,400 to $12,750 each
How the number is made
Data scientists at this level in this market day at about $1,225 ($900 to $2,000 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A model or forecast runs $5,000 to $30,000 and takes about 80 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $12,000. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: a set scope, paid up front on the 1st. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a data scientist in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $1,225 a day for someone working and booked, $900 in the first years, $1,550 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a model or forecast?
- $14,875 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a data scientist?
- Around $14,025 a month. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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