Market ranges & how to evaluate your offer
Most offers in Denver fall between $0k–$0k depending on seniority, location, and role scope.
Local vs National
Denver pays 8.3% more than the national typical
Salary data is self-reported and varies by scope, company, and location. Use ranges, not single numbers.
Compare your total comp for Data — pick seniority, enter an offer, and preview the layout. Percentiles use your selected seniority when market data is available.
Seniority-level breakdown for this market.
Cost of living breakdown for Denver, CO market.
Estimated monthly costs for this basket run about 109% of our comparable national baseline—plan for higher everyday spend than typical US markets.
How the estimated monthly cost bundle splits across categories for a typical Data earner.
$2,658.51/ mo
HOUSING
$2,149.49 USD (80.9% of est. monthly costs)
FOOD
$244.64 USD (9.2% of est. monthly costs)
TRANSPORT
$114.00 USD (4.3% of est. monthly costs)
LIFESTYLE
$150.38 USD (5.7% of est. monthly costs)
Housing dominates Denver's monthly budget at $2,149, with rent for a 1-bedroom city center apartment reaching $1,893. Basic utilities add $154 monthly, while high-speed internet costs $74, creating a substantial fixed expense base that leaves limited room for other categories.
Food expenses total $245 monthly in Denver, with restaurant meals averaging $18 and basic groceries like chicken fillets at $14.49 per kg. The relatively moderate food costs compared to housing suggest Denver offers reasonable dining options without the premium pricing seen in top-tier coastal markets.
Denver's public transit costs $114 monthly for a regular pass, reflecting the city's light rail and bus system that connects downtown to surrounding neighborhoods and the airport. This single transit option suggests many professionals rely on the RTD system for daily commuting across the metro area.
Discretionary spending totals $150 monthly, with gym memberships at $73 and movie tickets at $14 representing typical recreational costs. At $4.92 for cappuccinos, Denver's lifestyle expenses align with other mid-tier US cities, offering reasonable entertainment and fitness options for professionals.
Salary data only matters if you land the interview. Get a free AI-powered resume review and see how yours stacks up.
Location-specific ranges with optional cost-of-living adjustment.
Median compensation, hiring momentum, and pay mix for Datas in this market.
Lockheed Martin
+200% YoY Hiring$190k
Mostly hires: E3
Oracle
Stable Hiring$170k
Mostly hires: IC-3
Zoom
Stable Hiring$222k
Mostly hires: ZP3
Amazon
+100% YoY Hiring$584k
Mostly hires: L7
Deloitte
-100% YoY Hiring$184k
Mostly hires: L2
Atlassian
+100% YoY Hiring$453k
Mostly hires: P60
Data professionals face varying remote compensation models depending on company policies and location. Many tech companies offer location-adjusted salaries, where a data analyst in San Francisco might earn $120,000 while the same role in Austin pays $95,000. However, some organizations like GitLab and Buffer maintain location-agnostic pay bands, offering consistent compensation regardless of where data professionals work remotely.
The hybrid work trend has created tiered compensation structures for data roles, with fully remote positions sometimes offering 5-10% lower base salaries than hybrid roles requiring 2-3 office days. When negotiating remote data positions, emphasize your ability to collaborate across time zones, manage distributed datasets, and maintain data security protocols from home offices. Companies often value data professionals who can demonstrate strong remote communication skills and self-directed project management.
Moving from expensive metros like New York or San Francisco to lower-cost areas while maintaining remote data roles can significantly boost purchasing power. A $130,000 data scientist salary in San Francisco has roughly $65,000 in purchasing power after housing and taxes, while the same role paying $110,000 remotely from Denver provides approximately $75,000 in real spending power, representing a meaningful lifestyle upgrade despite the nominal pay reduction.
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How adjacent roles compare in pay and scope.
$96k-$318k
High overlap in data-scientist roles
Details$104k-$244k
High overlap in data-scientist roles
Details$120k-$495k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
Details$112k-$432k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
Details$132k-$573k
High overlap in product-manager roles
Details$117k-$402k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
DetailsPractical steps that move the number without damaging the relationship.
Start your ask above the median. You'll rarely be offered more than you ask, so anchor high and let the employer negotiate you down.
Stronger approach:
Say 'market data puts this role at $X–$Y' — not 'I was hoping for more'. External benchmarks are harder to argue against than personal expectations.
Stronger approach:
When base is stuck, negotiate equity vesting schedule, signing bonus, or accelerated refresh grants. Total comp has more levers than base alone.
Stronger approach:
Ask for 48 hours to review. This creates time to counter and signals that you take offers seriously — not that you are uncertain.
Stronger approach:
Generate an aware negotiation email using Google market positioning data.
Mock interviews tailored to Google's process and evaluation criteria.
Common questions about Data compensation.
Tools built for professionals evaluating offers and preparing for interviews.
Our AI Interview Copilot listens to your live interview and feeds you real-time answers, so you walk in confident and walk out with the offer.
"I used the salary data to benchmark my offer, then generated a negotiation email. Got a 12% bump without a single awkward conversation."
