Data Scientist compensation in United States at Cruise ranges from $283K per year for L4 to $523K per year for L6. The median yearly compensation package in United States totals $331K. Levels.fyi tracks 23 Data Scientist salary submissions at Cruise in United States. View the base salary, stock, and bonus breakdowns for Cruise's total compensation packages. Last updated: September 20, 2026
At Cruise, RSUs are subject to a 4-year vesting schedule:
25% vests in the 1st-YR (25.00% annually)
25% vests in the 2nd-YR (6.25% quarterly)
25% vests in the 3rd-YR (6.25% quarterly)
25% vests in the 4th-YR (6.25% quarterly)
Cruise has a program called Recurring Liquidity Opportunity (RLO) to give employees liquidity on their private stock which is bought back by General Motors and other partners.
Cruise Data Scientist Salary FAQ (2026)
What is the highest Data Scientist salary at Cruise in United States?
The highest paying salary package reported for a Data Scientist at Cruise in United States sits at a yearly total compensation of $522,500. This includes base salary as well as any potential stock compensation and bonuses.
How much do Cruise Data Scientist employees get paid in United States?
The median yearly total compensation reported at Cruise for the Data Scientist role in United States is $331,000.
What is the average Data Scientist salary at Cruise in United States?
The average yearly total compensation for a Data Scientist at Cruise in United States is $330,541, versus a median of $331,000. The average is more sensitive to the largest packages than the median.
How can I negotiate a higher Data Scientist offer at Cruise?
When negotiating your Data Scientist offer at Cruise, leverage salary data to understand market rates, highlight your relevant experience, and consider all components of the compensation package. Levels.fyi's professional negotiators have helped candidates secure $50K+ more in total compensation.
What are the Data Scientist levels at Cruise?
Levels.fyi has reported pay for 3 Data Scientist levels at Cruise, from L4 (entry) up to L6: L4, L5, L6. Levels.fyi lists median pay for each of these levels.
What is the starting salary for a Data Scientist at Cruise?
The entry level for Data Scientists at Cruise is L4. Median total compensation at L4 is $283,200 per year in United States.
How many years of experience does a Cruise L5 have?
Data Scientists at Cruise L5 in United States typically have 6–8 years of experience, based on salary submissions to Levels.fyi.
Does Cruise pay a signing bonus for Data Scientists?
Signing bonuses at Cruise are one-time payments that vary by level and negotiation, and are separate from the recurring annual bonus — median $51,000 per year for Data Scientists on Levels.fyi. Individual salary submissions on Levels.fyi list sign-on amounts where professionals report them.
How accurate is Levels.fyi data?
Levels.fyi is the only major salary site that verifies submissions against real offer letters and W-2s. Every data point is self-reported by a professional and reviewed before publication, and medians update as new reports arrive. Figures were last updated September 20, 2026.
Does Levels.fyi help with salary negotiation?
Yes. Levels.fyi runs a 1:1 negotiation service staffed by experienced recruiters who have negotiated thousands of offers across all roles and levels. Details at https://www.levels.fyi/services/.
Where can I find Data Scientist jobs with salary data?
The Levels.fyi job board lists 70,000+ tech roles alongside verified compensation data, so you can see pay before you apply: https://www.levels.fyi/jobs.
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