Rates, 2026
What should a data scientist charge in 2026, working remote?
About $1,300 a day for a data scientist who is working and booked in remote work for US clients. $950 in the first years, $1,650 when senior. A model or forecast runs about $15,750.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · a smaller market
First years
$950
a day · $125 an hour
Working, booked
$1,300
a day · $175 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,650
a day · $200 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,300 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$175 per hour
- A model or forecast$15,750 per project
- Monthly retainer$14,850 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 remote work for US clients: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Model build$4,500 to $22,500 each
- Forecasting$2,700 to $10,800 each
- A/B test design and readout$1,350 to $4,500 each
- Data pipeline$3,600 to $13,500 each
How the number is made
Data scientists at this level in this market day at about $1,300 ($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 $14,000. 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 remote work for US clients?
- About $1,300 a day for someone working and booked, $950 in the first years, $1,650 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a model or forecast?
- $15,750 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 $14,850 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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