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Data Scientist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a data scientist is $124,800 per annum, before tax, up $25,900 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Base salaries sit higher in banking, insurance and technology than in universities and government, and private-sector offers often include a bonus or equity that changes the real figure.
- Contract and consulting work is usually quoted as a day rate, which has to cover your own leave, super and quiet periods, so it is not directly comparable to a permanent salary.
- If you are weighing up two roles, ask what the bonus is based on and whether it was paid in full last year.
The median salary rose by $25,900 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than data scientist
The largest typical pay rise is $23,400 a year, moving into Quantitative Analyst.
- Quantitative Analyst+$23,400/yr
- Quantitative Trader+$23,400/yr
- Machine Learning Engineer+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher data scientist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time data scientist salary is $124,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Machine learning and Statistical modelling tend to command a premium over general data scientist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Quantitative Analyst pays a typical $23,400 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Data Scientist salary questions
How much do data scientists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a data scientist is $124,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is data scientist pay rising or falling?
The median data scientist salary is up $25,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than data scientist?
Quantitative Analyst pays a typical $23,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to data scientist.
Related salaries
- Machine Learning Engineer salary
- Quantitative Analyst salary
- Quantitative Trader salary
- Mathematician salary
- Statistician salary
- Data Analyst salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.