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How much does a Data Scientist take home in the UK?
A Data Scientist earning the median salary of £83K in the UK takes home approximately £58,697 per year (£4,891 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, using 2026/27 HMRC rates.
2026/27 UK Tax Rates · Income Tax + NI
Data Scientist Take-Home Pay in UK 2026/27
A Data Scientist earning the median salary of £83K in the UK takes home approximately £58,697/year (£4,891/month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, using 2026/27 rates.
Data Scientist take-home pay by seniority
2026 median salary for each level in the UK, and what it leaves after Income Tax and National Insurance. Standard Personal Allowance, England/Wales PAYE employee. 2026/27 rates.
| Level | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Per month | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | £48,000 | £38,080£3,173/mo | £3,173 | 20.7% |
| Mid-levelHeadline median | £83,000 | £58,697£4,891/mo | £4,891 | 29.3% |
| Senior | £95,000 | £65,657£5,471/mo | £5,471 | 30.9% |
| Lead / Principal | £120,000 | £76,157£6,346/mo | £6,346 | 36.5% |
| Manager | £100,000 | £68,557£5,713/mo | £5,713 | 31.4% |
| Director | £98,000 | £67,397£5,616/mo | £5,616 | 31.2% |
The biggest pay step is Junior to Mid-level: £35,000 more a year before tax, of which £20,618 reaches take-home. 41% of that raise goes to Income Tax and National Insurance, against an average 21% on the Junior salary, because the extra pay is taxed at the top of your bands rather than spread across all of them.
For Mid-level roles, the middle half of Data Scientist salaries in the UK run from £72,000 to £95,000 a year, which is £52,317 to £65,657 after Income Tax and National Insurance.
Adjust for your actual salary
The table above uses the Data Scientist median. Enter your own gross salary below for a precise figure.
£
2026/27 tax year
Personal Allowance: £12,570. Basic rate (20%) up to £50,270. Higher rate (40%) up to £125,140. Additional rate (45%) above.
£
Common salaries:
Annual take-home pay
£58,697
Per month
£4,891
Per week
£1,129
Effective tax rate
29.3%
How your £83,000 is split
Take-home
£58,697
70.7%
Income Tax
£20,632
24.9%
Nat. Insurance
£3,671
4.4%
| Gross salary | £83,000 |
| Personal Allowance (tax-free) | £12,570 |
| Income Tax | -£20,632 |
| National Insurance (Class 1) | -£3,671 |
| Total deductions | -£24,303 |
| Net take-home (annual) | £58,697 |
Calculations use 2026/27 UK tax rates. Assumes England/Wales/Northern Ireland Income Tax rates (Scottish rates differ). Includes standard Personal Allowance tapering above £100,000, and applies any pension salary sacrifice entered above before calculating tax. Does not account for Gift Aid, student loan repayments, Marriage Allowance, or other reliefs. For precise advice consult a tax professional or HMRC.
Permanent salary or contract?
Permanent median
£83,000
£58,697 take-home
Contract median
£625/day
≈ £137,500 gross a year
At a median £625/day, contract work grosses about £137,500 a year over 220 billable days, 66% more than the £83,000 permanent median. That premium has to pay for what an employer would otherwise cover: paid holiday and sick days, pension contributions, and the gaps between contracts. Whether a contract falls inside or outside IR35 also changes how much of it you keep.
Contract and permanent benchmarks come from separate samples, so treat the gap as a guide rather than a like-for-like quote. See Data Scientist contract rates and contractor take-home →
Frequently asked questions
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What is the effective tax rate for a Data Scientist in the UK?
On a median Data Scientist salary of £83K, the effective tax rate (Income Tax and NI combined) is 29.3%, leaving £58,697 as take-home pay. This assumes standard Personal Allowance and England/Wales Income Tax rates.
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How much Income Tax does a Data Scientist pay in the UK?
On a £83K salary, a Data Scientist pays approximately £20,632 in Income Tax per year. This uses the 2026/27 Personal Allowance of £12,570, a basic rate of 20% up to £50,270, and 40% above.
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How much National Insurance does a Data Scientist pay in the UK?
On a £83K salary, employee Class 1 National Insurance amounts to approximately £3,671 per year. The 2026/27 rates are 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above.
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Does the Personal Allowance affect a Data Scientist's tax in the UK?
The standard Personal Allowance for 2026/27 is £12,570, which is tax-free. For salaries above £100,000, the allowance tapers by £1 for every £2 earned, disappearing entirely at £125,140. This does not affect the median salary shown here.
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What does a senior Data Scientist take home in the UK?
A senior Data Scientist in the UK earns a median £95,000 a year and takes home approximately £65,657 (£5,471 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, an effective rate of 30.9%.
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What does a junior Data Scientist take home in the UK?
A junior Data Scientist in the UK earns a median £48,000 a year and takes home approximately £38,080 (£3,173 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, an effective rate of 20.7%.
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How much of a promotion does a Data Scientist keep after tax in the UK?
The biggest pay step is Junior to Mid-level: £35,000 more a year before tax, of which £20,618 reaches take-home. 41% of that raise goes to Income Tax and National Insurance, against an average 21% on the Junior salary, because the extra pay is taxed at the top of your bands rather than spread across all of them.
9
Do contract Data Scientist roles pay more than permanent ones in the UK?
At a median £625/day, contract work grosses about £137,500 a year over 220 billable days, 66% more than the £83,000 permanent median. That premium has to pay for what an employer would otherwise cover: paid holiday and sick days, pension contributions, and the gaps between contracts. Whether a contract falls inside or outside IR35 also changes how much of it you keep. Contract and permanent benchmarks come from separate samples, so treat the gap as a guide.
Data Scientist Salary Benchmarks
Full range, city comparisons, seniority bands
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Data Scientist contractor rates
Compare permanent pay with current contract market rates
Remote vs Hybrid
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Data Scientist Salary in Scotland
Take-home under Scottish income tax (19%–48%)