Cleared quantitative compensation guide
Cleared Data Scientist and AI Engineer Salary Guide
Generic data science salary numbers are not useful if you have TS SCI, polygraph access, a PhD, and real mission experience.
View Advanced Research RolesA cleared data scientist in Fort Meade is not priced like a commercial dashboard analyst.
Clearance changes the market. Polygraph access changes the market. A PhD can change the market. Mission experience changes the market. The labor category changes the market. That is why cleared data scientist salary conversations get messy.
The honest answer is that compensation depends on the role, clearance, polygraph, degree, years of experience, customer, contract, location, and whether you are doing real AI engineering or analytics with an AI title. But there are real planning patterns.
Salary Methodology
BLS reported a 2024 median annual wage of $112,590 for data scientists and projected 34 percent growth from 2024 to 2034. ClearanceJobs reported in 2026 that average total compensation for cleared professionals reached $126,125, while professionals with a Lifestyle or Full Scope Polygraph averaged $149,875. Public postings from Leidos and GDIT show how wide current cleared data and AI roles can range when TS SCI, polygraph, AI, ML, MLOps, and mission fit combine.
The title alone does not decide pay. Access, degree, mission fit, technical depth, and funded LCAT do.
Data Scientist Salary
A cleared data scientist usually works on mission data, analytics, modeling, NLP, geospatial data, statistics, reporting support, or pattern detection. The job may include Python, SQL, R, pandas, scikit learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Jupyter, data pipelines, visualization, NLP, geospatial analysis, and analyst support.
| Data Scientist Level | Practical Contractor Range |
|---|---|
| Junior cleared Data Scientist | $90,000 to $125,000 |
| Data Scientist with TS SCI | $115,000 to $160,000 |
| Data Scientist with TS SCI and Polygraph | $135,000 to $190,000 |
| Senior Data Scientist with TS SCI and Polygraph | $160,000 to $225,000 |
| SME Data Scientist or mission critical specialist | $200,000 to $275,000 or more |
Public examples support the spread. Leidos listed a Fort Meade Sr. Data Scientist role requiring active TS SCI with Polygraph at $107,900 to $195,050, with Python, scikit learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, R, Git, Jupyter, database, model development, LLM tuning, and RAG skills in the role description.
AI and Machine Learning Engineer Salary
AI and ML engineers usually sit closer to production. A data scientist may build or evaluate a model. An AI engineer is often expected to make the model work inside a real system: APIs, RAG, model serving, containers, Kubernetes, MLOps, vector databases, secure data access, monitoring, and mission workflow integration.
| AI or ML Engineer Level | Practical Contractor Range |
|---|---|
| Junior ML Engineer | $110,000 to $145,000 |
| ML Engineer with TS SCI | $140,000 to $185,000 |
| AI or ML Engineer with TS SCI and Polygraph | $165,000 to $230,000 |
| Senior AI Engineer with TS SCI and Polygraph | $200,000 to $275,000 |
| Principal AI Engineer or AI SME | $240,000 to $325,000 or more |
GDIT listed a Senior Agentic AI and ML Engineer role at $199,750 to $270,250. The reason AI engineers can out earn many data scientists is simple: production AI is harder than notebooks. It requires model skill, software engineering, infrastructure awareness, security awareness, and mission judgment together.
Applied Mathematician Salary
Applied mathematicians, statisticians, cryptologic researchers, signal processing specialists, and operations research analysts may sit in a different pay lane. These roles may involve cryptanalysis, signal processing, graph theory, optimization, statistics, modeling, algorithms, operations research, or mission decision support.
| Quantitative Research Role | Practical Contractor Range |
|---|---|
| Junior quantitative analyst or researcher | $90,000 to $125,000 |
| Applied Mathematician or OR Analyst with TS SCI | $115,000 to $165,000 |
| Applied Mathematician with TS SCI and Polygraph | $140,000 to $205,000 |
| Senior Applied Mathematician or research scientist | $170,000 to $240,000 |
| PhD level SME or rare mission expert | $220,000 to $300,000 or more |
BLS reported May 2024 median annual wages of $121,680 for mathematicians and $103,300 for statisticians. Those national baselines do not include TS SCI, polygraph access, IC mission fit, or contract level scarcity.
The Education Premium
A degree does not automatically increase salary. A degree increases salary when it helps you qualify for a higher labor category or when the customer values the research depth. GSA OASIS labor category documentation shows the broader federal contracting pattern: education, years of experience, duties, and expertise are often combined to define junior, journeyman, senior, and subject matter expert categories.
- Applied mathematics, machine learning research, cryptanalysis, signal processing, and advanced statistics.
- Computer vision research, NLP research, operations research, algorithm development, scientific modeling, and AI evaluation.
- Senior research or SME roles where the customer needs PhD level thinking rather than routine analytics.
A PhD is valuable when the customer needs PhD level thinking. It is not a magic salary button.
The Clearance and Polygraph Premium
The polygraph premium is real because it narrows the labor pool. For data science and AI, that premium can matter even more because the customer is often trying to hire someone with both rare access and rare technical skill.
| Access Level | Market Impact |
|---|---|
| Secret | Useful for DoD roles, lower ceiling for many IC data roles. |
| Top Secret | Stronger access, but not enough for many IC billets. |
| TS SCI | Major value jump for IC data science and AI roles. |
| TS SCI with CI Polygraph | Strong premium for sensitive mission roles. |
| TS SCI with Full Scope Polygraph | Highest demand in many Fort Meade and IC markets. |
Commercial Tech vs GovCon
Commercial tech can pay more on total compensation when RSUs are strong. Levels.fyi data shows high commercial compensation for data science, ML, AI, and senior software engineering roles. A cleared GovCon AI engineer usually has a stronger base salary model and less equity upside.
| Commercial tech offers | GovCon offers |
|---|---|
| Higher total compensation upside, RSUs, remote options, modern tooling, and public portfolio value. | Clearance premium, polygraph premium, mission impact, stable demand, and work that cannot be outsourced easily. |
| Faster commercial product cycles and broader job mobility. | Access to data, customers, and mission problems most commercial engineers cannot touch. |
What Actually Drives the Top Offers
- TS SCI with Full Scope Polygraph.
- Fort Meade, Annapolis Junction, McLean, Chantilly, or classified customer site experience.
- PhD or strong graduate background in a relevant field.
- Python plus production software skill, MLOps, LLM, RAG, NLP, computer vision, or model evaluation experience.
- Classified data experience, ability to deploy models in restricted environments, and ability to brief mission users.
- Customer trust and a funded senior LCAT.
What Can Hurt Your Offer
- No active clearance or no polygraph for a polygraph role.
- No production experience, only academic notebooks, or weak Python and SQL depth.
- No experience with messy data, classified environments, model limitations, or mission users.
- No software engineering discipline, no LCAT fit, or no degree when the role requires one.
How to Negotiate a Cleared Data or AI Offer
- What LCAT is this mapped to, and is the position funded?
- Is this data science, AI engineering, MLOps, applied math, or analytics?
- Is the company prime or subcontractor, and when is recompete?
- Is TS SCI or polygraph required, and is the role onsite?
- Does the contract value a PhD, production deployment, or specific AI and ML stack depth?
- If base salary is capped, can sign on bonus, training budget, PTO, title, or growth path be improved?
Open Roles at GS Consulting
GS Consulting supports cleared data, AI, ML, and quantitative mission roles across the IC and DoD. If you have TS SCI, polygraph access, a strong quantitative background, and the ability to solve real mission problems, your market value is strong.
The Bottom Line
Cleared data scientist and AI engineer salaries are not the same as generic commercial salary averages. A starting cleared Data Scientist may land around $90,000 to $125,000. A TS SCI Data Scientist can move into the $115,000 to $160,000 range. A TS SCI Polygraph Data Scientist can move into the $135,000 to $190,000 range. Senior and SME candidates with mission fit can go much higher.
AI and ML engineers can often earn more because production AI requires software, infrastructure, MLOps, and security skill. Applied mathematicians, PhD researchers, and operations research specialists can also earn strong compensation when their math maps to mission problems. Benchmark yourself against your clearance, polygraph, degree, mission experience, and actual LCAT.
Sources
- BLS, Data Scientists
- DHI Group, 2026 ClearanceJobs compensation report announcement
- Leidos, Sr. Data Scientist posting
- Leidos, Data Scientist posting
- GDIT, Senior Agentic AI/ML Engineer posting
- BLS, Mathematicians and Statisticians
- GSA, OASIS Labor Categories and Definitions
- Levels.fyi, Data Scientist compensation data
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a cleared data scientist earn?
A junior cleared data scientist may start around $90,000 to $125,000, while TS SCI data scientists often move into the $115,000 to $160,000 range. TS SCI with polygraph, mission data experience, senior LCAT fit, and strong modeling skill can push compensation into the high $100,000s or above $200,000.
Do cleared AI and machine learning engineers earn more than data scientists?
Often, yes. AI and ML engineers who can deploy models, build APIs, manage containers, support MLOps, handle secure data access, monitor models, and integrate with mission workflows can out earn many data scientists because production AI requires software, infrastructure, security, and model skill together.
How much does a polygraph help data science salary?
The polygraph premium is real because it narrows the labor pool. ClearanceJobs reported that cleared professionals with a Lifestyle or Full Scope Polygraph averaged nearly $30,000 more in total compensation than cleared professionals without a polygraph in its 2026 compensation report.
Does a PhD automatically increase cleared data science pay?
No. A PhD increases pay when the mission problem needs PhD level thinking, such as applied mathematics, machine learning research, cryptanalysis, signal processing, advanced statistics, computer vision research, NLP research, operations research, algorithm development, or AI evaluation.
What drives the highest cleared AI and data science offers?
The highest offers usually come from rare combinations: TS SCI with Full Scope Polygraph, Fort Meade or IC customer access, relevant graduate education, Python and production software skill, MLOps, LLM or RAG experience, classified data experience, strong communication, customer trust, and a funded senior LCAT.
Ready to benchmark your cleared quantitative offer?
Send your resume and include your clearance status, polygraph status, target lane, education, years of experience, production AI or data science depth, and preferred mission location.