All salary guides·🇬🇧 United Kingdom · GBP

Data Scientist
Salary in Manchester

£55K£172K across all experience levels. Updated 2025.

England, UK

Senior Data Scientist · Median

£110K

Base salary · 5–8 years experience

Total comp median: £160K

Salary by experience level — Manchester

Manchester is the UK's second-largest tech hub, home to Autotrader, The Hut Group, booking.com, and AO World. A lower cost of living than London combined with a maturing startup ecosystem makes Manchester increasingly attractive for tech talent.

Junior0–2 yrs

£65K

median base salary

£55K£65K median£76K
Mid Level3–5 yrs

£86K

median base salary

£71K£86K median£99K
Senior5–8 yrs

£110K

median base salary

£93K£110K median£130K
Staff / Principal8+ yrs

£144K

median base salary

£119K£144K median£172K
LevelExperience25th %ileMedian75th %ile
Junior0–2 yrs£55K£65K£76K
Mid Level3–5 yrs£71K£86K£99K
Senior5–8 yrs£93K£110K£130K
Staff / Principal8+ yrs£119K£144K£172K

Base salary in GBP. Data reflects 2025 compensation benchmarks from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and Zari platform data.

Senior Data Scientist · Total Compensation

£160K

Median total comp (base + equity + bonus)

Total comp range

£135K£160K median£189K

Negotiation opportunity

£37K

Gap between 25th and 75th percentile for senior Data Scientist in Manchester

Most candidates who don't negotiate land at the 25th percentile. Strong negotiation moves you toward the 75th — a difference of £37K per year.

How to negotiate a Data Scientist offer in Manchester

The difference between the 25th and 75th percentile is £37K/year — and it comes down to this conversation.

0101

Anchor above the median

Open at £130K — the 75th percentile. This gives you room to "meet in the middle" at or above the median. Never give a range; ranges get taken at the low end.

0202

Use competing offers as leverage

A competing offer — even from a less preferred employer — is the single most powerful negotiating tool in Manchester. Get at least one before negotiating.

0303

Negotiate total comp, not just base

Base salary is often the hardest component to move. Signing bonus and equity are frequently more flexible. In Manchester, a £12K signing bonus has the same year-1 value.

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Never accept on the call

Ask for the offer in writing and follow up in 24–48 hours. This creates space to counter without pressure. No legitimate employer rescinds an offer because a candidate asked for review time.

Know your number

£37K/yr is on the table.
Learn how to get it.

Zari coaches the exact negotiation conversation — what to say when the recruiter asks your number, how to counter, and how to use competing offers. Free to start.