Salario de Científico de Datos en Texas (2026)
El salario promedio de un Científico de Datos en Texas es de $135,000/año. Después de impuestos, tu sueldo neto estimado es de $103,539/año ($8,628/mes).✓ Sin impuesto estatal
Desglose del Sueldo Neto
| Categoría | Cantidad |
|---|---|
Sueldo Neto Anual | $103,539 |
Sueldo Neto Mensual | $8,628 |
Sueldo Neto Quincenal | $3,982 |
Sueldo Neto por Hora basado en 2,080 hrs/año | $50/hr |
Impuesto Federal | $21,134 |
Impuesto Estatal | $0 |
Impuestos FICA | $10,328 |
Tasa Efectiva de Impuesto impuestos totales ÷ salario bruto | 23.3% |
¿Compensación con acciones? Usa la calculadora correcta.
RSU, ISO y ventas de acciones se gravan diferente. Elige la herramienta que corresponde a tu evento.
Calculadora RSU
Ingreso al vest + déficit de sell-to-cover + proyección de ganancia de capital.
Calcular vest RSUCalculadora ISO/AMT
Exposición a AMT federal, phaseout de exención y tu punto de crossover.
Calcular AMTGuía de Stock Comp
RSU vs NSO vs ISO vs ganancias de capital — cómo se grava cada uno.
Leer la guíaRangos de Salario de Científico de Datos en Texas
No todas las Científico de Datoss ganan lo mismo — ni de cerca
Texas data science is bifurcated by metro. Austin is the consumer/tech market — startups, AI shops, the Tesla AI/Autopilot data team, and the recent corporate relocations (Oracle, Tesla HQ). Dallas-Fort Worth is the enterprise market — financial services, telecom (AT&T), insurance, and a growing fintech presence. Houston is energy-dominated. They are different markets with different comp scales.
Principal / Staff Data Scientist
$200,000–$330,000
Top end at Tesla, Oracle, Capital One, large fintech
Senior Data Scientist
$150,000–$240,000
Solid market across all three Texas metros
ML Engineer (Senior)
$160,000–$280,000
Tesla AI/Autopilot team meaningfully above market
Data Scientist (Mid-Level)
$110,000–$175,000
Most common comp band for 3–5 YOE
Data Engineer
$120,000–$200,000
Strong demand from financial services data warehouses
Analytics Engineer
$105,000–$165,000
Fast-growing role at Austin SaaS startups
Quant Analyst / Risk DS
$130,000–$220,000
Capital One, Charles Schwab, USAA in Plano/Frisco corridor
Energy / Reservoir Data Scientist
$140,000–$210,000
Houston-specific — oil & gas analytics, geophysical modeling
Junior / New Grad DS
$85,000–$135,000
UT Austin and A&M pipelines feed local market
Research Scientist (AI/Industry)
$180,000–$320,000
Tesla AI, smaller Austin AI shops; thinner market than CA/WA
Vale la pena saber: The Tesla AI/Autopilot team in Austin is a distinct comp tier. Their compensation packages for senior ML engineers and computer vision researchers are competitive with Bay Area FAANG, partly to offset the relocation pull. Outside Tesla, the Austin AI lab market is much thinner.
The Texas data science market — the migration story, normalized
0%
Texas state income tax rate
+58%
growth in Austin DS / ML postings since 2019
$500–700k
median DS home purchase in good Austin/Plano suburb
The 2020–2022 California exodus to Texas was real and reshaped the Austin DS market in particular. Tesla's HQ relocation, Oracle's move, and a wave of consumer tech and SaaS company expansions added substantial demand. That hiring boom has since stabilized — Austin hires DS at a healthy pace but no longer at boom rates.
DFW is the underrated market. Capital One has built a substantial data and ML org in Plano. JPMorgan, Charles Schwab, USAA, and Goldman Sachs all have growing data teams in the area. The roles trend more enterprise/risk/quant than consumer ML, but comp is competitive and the market is much less volatile than Austin's startup churn.
The financial case for Texas DS is straightforward. A senior data scientist earning $180,000 in Austin or DFW pays 0% state income tax — and can purchase a 4-bedroom home in a top-rated school district for $500,000–$700,000. Both numbers are infeasible in coastal California or NYC.
The trade-offs are also real. Texas does not have the AI research density of California. Senior researchers wanting frequent peer interaction will feel the geographic gap. And property taxes (1.8–2.5% annually) partially offset the income tax savings — the comparison must include both.
Texas for data scientists — what life actually looks like
Austin has become a real tech city in cultural terms. The food, music, outdoor scene, and concentration of educated young workers make it broadly comparable to mid-tier coastal cities — though significantly more affordable. The trade-off is summer heat that genuinely shapes daily life from June through September.
Dallas-Fort Worth is a sprawling, car-dependent, corporate region. The cultural texture is distinctly different from Austin — quieter, more family-suburban, and more conservative in tone. For DS professionals coming from coastal tech hubs, DFW takes more adjustment than Austin does.
Houston's DS market is energy-anchored. Oil and gas analytics, reservoir modeling, and increasingly energy-transition data work (carbon capture, renewables modeling) drive most senior roles. It is a narrower market than Austin or DFW but technically rich and comp is solid.
How Texas taxes work for data scientists (and how to keep more)
TX 0% state income tax. A $200K Tesla AI / Indeed Austin senior DS nets ~$152K post-tax (federal + only) vs ~$135K equivalent in CA — $17K/year delta. At $400K staff DS with significant vesting, $35K-$50K/year delta vs CA. Over 25-year career, $500K-$1.2M cumulative state tax savings.
TX property tax 2.0-2.5% effective is the homeowner trade-off. On $700K Plano staff DS home: $14K-$17.5K/year property tax vs $7K on equivalent CA home (Prop 13). For homeowner DS, the no-state-tax + property-tax math nets out: at $300K total comp, TX vs CA is roughly even net of property tax; at $500K+ TX wins by $25K-$45K/year net.
Property tax appeal aggressively — TX appraisal districts often over-assess on appreciating markets (Austin / Plano / Frisco). Hire property tax consultant or DIY. Saves $1K-$3K/year on $500K-$1M homes.
() at major TX tech employers — Tesla AI (Austin Gigafactory), Apple Austin, Oracle Austin, Indeed Austin, Capital One Plano, JPMorgan Plano. Most major employers offer MBR. $47.5K/year of after-tax → Roth conversion ABOVE the regular $24,500 limit. Over 25-year TX tech career, $700K-$1M tax-free retirement assets.
sell-on-vest discipline at Tesla / Apple Austin / NVIDIA / FAANG-equivalent. RSU vests as ordinary income at vesting-day . Selling immediately = $0 cap gains. TX has no state cap gains tax (and no state income tax), so all RSU sale considerations are federal-only — simpler tax planning than CA / NY.
Backdoor Roth IRA $7,500/year. Bypasses phase-out at staff+ comp.
if eligible ($4,400 single / $8,750 family). Triple-tax-advantaged.
Homestead exemption — primary residence school tax reduction + 10% appraisal cap on year-over-year increases. File as soon as you close.
TX is favorable for FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) — combined no state tax + lower COL (especially Houston / DFW outside premium suburbs) + access creates strong wealth-building structure.
CA → TX relocation strategy at $500K+ comp — saves 13.3% top tax + 1% MHST on incremental dollars. Many CA tech workers relocated to Austin / Plano post-2020 specifically for tax + lifestyle. CA Franchise Tax Board (FTB) audits aggressively on out-migration of high-income filers — document carefully (driver's license, voter registration, primary residence, time-in-state).
- →Property tax appeal aggressively — TX appraisal districts often over-assess. Saves $1K-$3K/year on Austin / Plano / Frisco premium homes.
- →Homestead exemption + Senior Freeze 65+ — primary residence school tax reduction + 10% appraisal cap.
- →Max at Tesla AI / Apple Austin / Oracle / Capital One Plano / JPMorgan — $47.5K/year. $700K-$1M tax-free retirement assets over career.
- → sell-on-vest discipline — TX simplicity advantage (no state cap gains). Sell at vest, redeploy in diversified portfolio.
- →Backdoor Roth IRA $7K/year — bypasses phase-out at staff+ comp.
- → max + don't spend — triple-tax-advantaged stealth retirement bucket.
- →CA → TX relocation strategy at $500K+ comp — saves 13.3% top + 1% MHST on incremental dollars. Document residency carefully per CA FTB 183-day rule.
- →Side-business / consulting / advisory — TX-friendly business environment + no state tax + Solo at $50K+ side income shelters $35K-$72K/year additional pre-tax retirement contributions.
- →Austin AI/ML market growing — Tesla AI, Indeed, Oracle, smaller AI startups (Replicate, Modal Labs presence). Career mobility within Austin tech-corridor.
Three TX DS submarkets — what each one looks like
Austin AI / tech corridor (Tesla / Apple / Oracle / Indeed), Plano / Frisco financial-services data hub (Capital One / JPMorgan), and Houston energy analytics are three different TX DS career paths.
Austin AI/ML Tech Corridor (Tesla AI / Apple Austin / Oracle / Indeed / Smaller AI Startups)
Total comp $180K-$420K · staff+ $350K-$650KTesla AI (Austin Gigafactory + Tesla AI Day events), Apple Austin Mueller campus ($1B+ investment), Oracle Austin HQ, Indeed Austin. Growing AI startup density (Replicate, Modal Labs partial presence, smaller GenAI startups). + Backdoor Roth + at major employers. Workforce housing in Round Rock / Cedar Park / Pflugerville / Buda / Kyle ($500K-$800K post-2020).
Austin DS market is the closest TX equivalent to Bay Area in feel + AI-focus. Tesla AI genuinely deep ML researcher hiring. Comp 10-20% below Bay Area but 0% state tax + $400K-$600K homes (vs $1.5M+ Bay Area) compounds favorably for FIRE-focused DS.
Plano / Frisco Financial Services Data Hub (Capital One / JPMorgan / Charles Schwab / Toyota / McKesson)
Total comp $160K-$350K · senior $250K-$450KCapital One Plano West tech campus, JPMorgan Plano (Frisco Bridges, ~13K jobs), Charles Schwab Westlake HQ, Toyota Motor North America Plano HQ, McKesson Dallas HQ, AT&T Dallas. Financial services + corporate analytics tier. + + Backdoor Roth at all major employers. Workforce housing in Plano / Frisco / Allen / McKinney ($600K-$1M).
Plano / Frisco is structured TX DS market — financial services + corporate analytics with stable career path + family-friendly suburbs + top schools. Less AI-focused than Austin but stronger financial services data work.
Houston Energy Analytics + Texas Medical Center
Total comp $140K-$300K · senior $250K-$420KConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, BP America (Houston), Phillips 66, Marathon Oil, Halliburton, Schlumberger US (now SLB). Texas Medical Center (largest medical center in world) increasingly hires DS for healthcare analytics. Workforce housing in Sugar Land / Pearland / The Woodlands / Memorial / Cypress ($400K-$800K).
Houston DS is energy-flavored — oil & gas reservoir modeling, energy transition modeling, carbon capture analytics. Less AI-focused than Austin or Plano. Career path narrower but technically rich + meaningful comp + Houston affordability.
The career arc — from Austin junior DS to staff+ to FIRE
Year 1-3 (Junior / New Grad DS): $130K-$200K total comp. Austin / Plano / Houston entry tier. PhD new grads at AI startups higher. Building SQL + Python + ML fundamentals. + Backdoor Roth + from year 1.
Year 3-7 (Mid-Level / Senior DS): $180K-$320K total comp. Senior level at Tesla AI / Apple Austin / Capital One Plano. vesting accelerates. Specialty pursuit common — ML engineering vs product DS vs research scientist track.
Year 7-15 (Staff / Principal DS): $280K-$500K total comp. Staff at major TX tech employers. -heavy. Side-business / consulting / advisory roles common — TX-friendly business environment supports.
Year 15+ (Senior Principal / Distinguished / Founder): $450K-$1M+ total comp. Top tier. Founder track via Austin AI startup with VC funding (smaller market than Bay Area but real — Capital Factory, Trinity Ventures Austin presence).
FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) is accessible in TX. Senior DS earning $400K-$800K with disciplined + Backdoor Roth + + sell-on-vest + 0% TX state tax + meaningful housing affordability ($500K-$800K vs $1.5M+ Bay Area) can accumulate $4M-$8M by age 45-50. Many TX tech workers plan early retirement / sabbatical / advisory work. No retirement-relocation needed — TX is already 0% state tax. Most senior TX DS retire in TX (Austin / Hill Country / DFW) or relocate to FL / NV for retirement-cost optimization (similar 0% tax state but warmer climate / different lifestyle).
Where Texas data scientists live in each metro
Three different Texas metros, three different residential patterns. Austin is geographically concentrated. DFW is sprawling and corridor-defined. Houston is wedge-shaped — tech and energy DS workers cluster on the west and southwest sides.
Cedar Park / Round Rock (Austin North)
Tesla Gigafactory and Domain accessible · top-rated schools · most popular DS family suburbs
South Austin / Buda
Closer to downtown · younger demographic · Buda materially more affordable
East Austin / Mueller
Walkable urban Austin · proximity to Oracle and Domain · younger DS hires
Plano / Frisco / Allen (DFW)
Capital One, JPMorgan, financial services data hub · excellent schools · the DFW DS heartland
Las Colinas / Irving (DFW)
Central DFW · AT&T HQ · lower cost than Plano · shorter DFW airport access
The Woodlands / Sugar Land (Houston)
Premium Houston suburbs · energy industry families · planned communities
Public transit in all three metros is minimal. You will drive. The relevant question is which highway your employer is closest to, and how much traffic you are willing to accept on your daily commute.
¿Es la decisión correcta?
Texas for data scientists — when the math works
A tu favor
- +No state income tax creates real, permanent take-home advantage at every comp level
- +Housing affordability allows homeownership at DS comp levels that fail in CA/NY
- +Austin AI/ML market is real — Tesla AI, Oracle, growing AI startup density
- +DFW financial services data market is stable and well-compensated
- +Cost of living differential lets equivalent gross salaries fund significantly higher savings rates
- +University pipelines (UT Austin, A&M, Rice) provide steady talent flow
Vale la pena saber antes de firmar
- −AI research community much thinner than CA — researchers feel the gap
- −Summer heat (June–September, 100°F+) is genuinely lifestyle-limiting
- −Property taxes (1.8–2.5% annual) partially offset income tax savings
- −Power grid reliability remains a legitimate background concern post-2021
- −Top FAANG/AI-lab comp ceilings still require California or New York
- −Austin housing prices have risen sharply since 2019, narrowing affordability advantage
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