Freelance Data Scientist Rates in Los Angeles, CA (2026)
Los Angeles, CA-based data scientists currently command roughly $137/hour, which is 30% above the US remote baseline. Demand for data scientist skills is trending up about 9% year-over-year, with the strongest pricing power going to freelancers who specialize in experimentation / a/b testing and causal inference.
How to command the top data scientist rate in Los Angeles
Clients in Los Angeles pay the top end of the range to freelancers who specialize rather than generalize. In 2026, the specializations driving the highest rates are:
- Experimentation / A/B testing
- Causal inference
- Forecasting & time series
- ML model deployment (MLOps)
Data Scientist rates in other cities
How Los Angeles, CA compares to other global data scientist markets.
| City | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Valley, CA | $127 | $163 | $209 |
| Zurich, Switzerland | $123 | $158 | $202 |
| New York, NY | $119 | $152 | $195 |
| Seattle, WA | $111 | $142 | $182 |
| Boston, MA | $107 | $137 | $175 |
| Tel Aviv, Israel | $107 | $137 | $175 |
| London, UK | $102 | $131 | $168 |
| Singapore | $102 | $131 | $168 |
FAQ: Freelance Data Scientist Rates in Los Angeles, CA
How much do freelance data scientists charge in Los Angeles, CA?
Freelance data scientists in Los Angeles, CA charge a median of $137/hour in 2026, with typical rates ranging from $107 to $175/hour depending on experience and specialization.
Are Los Angeles data scientist rates higher than US remote?
Los Angeles rates are about 30% higher than the US remote baseline ($105/hr). This reflects Los Angeles's cost of living and local demand for data scientist talent.
What can a freelance data scientist earn annually in Los Angeles, CA?
At the median Los Angeles, CA rate of $137/hr and ~1,800 billable hours per year, a freelance data scientist can earn roughly $247,000 annually. Top earners hit $315,000 or more.
What data scientist specializations pay best in Los Angeles?
The highest-paying specializations for data scientists in Los Angeles in 2026 include: Experimentation / A/B testing, Causal inference, Forecasting & time series, ML model deployment (MLOps). These are the highest-paying areas within the skill; the benchmark on this page is the median across all of them, not a niche premium.
Your business at $137/hr
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| Billable hours/year | Gross annual |
|---|---|
| 1,200 | $164,400 |
| 1,500 | $205,500 |
| 1,800 | $246,600 |
Most full-time freelancers bill 1,200–1,500 hours a year once sales, admin and time off are counted.
A common rule of thumb for US freelancers is to set aside 25–30% of gross for federal income and self-employment tax combined (state tax is extra); at 1,500 hours that is roughly $57,540–$61,650. This is an estimate, not tax advice.
- Tax
Keeper finds write-offs and files the 1099 return.
- Contracts and invoicing
Bonsai puts a contract in front of the client before the work starts and turns it into an invoice when it's done.
FreshBooks handles invoicing, expense tracking and accounting for freelancers.
- Business banking
Found is a business bank account built for freelancers, with expense tracking included.
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