As of April 22, 2025, the average annual salary for a Principal Data Scientist in the United Kingdom is £80,350, with an hourly rate of £39, according to Salary.com Global Salary IQ data. The average salary ranges from £71,700 to £92,273, influenced by factors like location, education, experience, and more.

Global Market Data
25TH   £71,700
50TH(Median)   £80,350
75TH   £92,273
Principal Data Scientist Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
25th Percentile Principal Data Scientist Salary £71,700 United Kingdom April 22, 2025
50th Percentile Principal Data Scientist Salary £80,350 United Kingdom April 22, 2025
75th Percentile Principal Data Scientist Salary £92,273 United Kingdom April 22, 2025

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How Much Does a Principal Data Scientist Make by Hour, Week, Month, and Year?

Last Updated on April 22, 2025

Salary.com provides you with accurate and diversified Principal Data Scientist salary data based on specialized databases to help you get a fairer salary. The average annual pay for a Principal Data Scientist is about £80,350 a year, this translates to an approximate hourly rate of £39, a monthly salary of about £6,696, and a weekly pay of around £1,545. Click the switch button below to see more details about Principal Data Scientist hourly pay, weekly pay, monthly pay, and so on.

How Much Do Principal Data Scientists Earn at Different Levels in 2025?

A Principal Data Scientist's salary varies significantly based on experience level. Entry typically earn £77,122 - £82,485, while Intermediate make £77,122 - £82,485, Senior earn £77,122 - £82,485, Specialist earn £77,122 - £82,485, Expert can reach £77,122 - £82,485 or more, depending on the company and location.

Levels Salary
Entry Level Principal Data Scientist £80,350
Intermediate Level Principal Data Scientist £80,350
Senior Level Principal Data Scientist £80,350
Specialist Level Principal Data Scientist £80,350
Expert Level Principal Data Scientist £80,350
£80,350 0 yr
£80,350 < 2 yrs
£80,350 2-4 yrs
£80,350 5-8 yrs
£80,350 > 8 yrs
Entry Level 0%
Intermediate Level 0%
Senior Level 0%
Specialist Level 0%
Expert Level 0%
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Last Updated on April 22, 2025

What are the Highest Paying Cities in the United Kingdom for Principal Data Scientist?

The top 3 highest-paying cities in the United Kingdom for Principal Data Scientist are London, Brighton and Hove, and Manchester. In London, the average salary is £86,778 per year, while Brighton and Hove offers £80,947, and Manchester pays around £77,020 annually.

Which Job Pays More: Principal Software Engineer or Principal Data Scientist?

As of April 22, 2025 , a Principal Software Engineer makes less than a Principal Data Scientist. A Principal Software Engineer earns an average annual salary of £77,762. And a Principal Data Scientist earns an average annual salary of £80,350.

Job Title Salary Range in GBP
Principal Software Engineer
£64,939
£93,438
Principal Electrical Engineer
£36,661
£59,298
Principal Mechanical Engineer
£39,081
£60,016
Principal Systems Engineer
£57,473
£102,756
Scientist I - Biotech
£36,529
£54,635

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Frequently Asked Questions about Principal Data Scientist Salaries

1. How much does a principal Data Scientist make in the UK?

The estimated total pay for a Principal Data Scientist is £97,645 per year in the London area, with an average salary of £82,907 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.

2. What is the highest salary of a Data Scientist in the UK?

Highest paying cities for Data Scientists near United KingdomLondon. £60,371 per year. 814 salaries reported.Glasgow. £53,179 per year. 21 salaries reported.Cambridge. £51,725 per year. 20 salaries reported.Birmingham. £51,554 per year. 45 salaries reported.Bristol. £49,531 per year. 57 salaries reported.Show more nearby cities.

3. What is the highest salary of a principal Data Scientist?

Highest reported salary offered as Principal Data Scientist is $2000k. The top 10% of employees earn more than $408k per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping $792k per year.

4. How much does a head of data science earn in UK?

The average head data science salary in the United Kingdom is £85,000 per year or £43.59 per hour.

5. What level is a principal Data Scientist?

A principal data scientist means a very high seniority level in data science. Higher than senior. Usually, a principal data scientist is responsible for more than one project and can lead people, but often it is not required of her/him.25 Jan 2023

6. How much does a VP data make in London?

The estimated total pay for a Vice President Data is £121,569 per year, with an average salary of £95,952 per year.