Interested in this Data Scientist role at County of Los Angeles?
Apply Now →About This Role
FILING PERIOD
The application filing period will begin on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) – Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.
EXAM NUMBER
b1765A
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
We welcome applications from anyone.
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Why work for us?
With almost 10 million residents, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the nation! As the largest employer in Southern California with over 100,000 employees in 39 departments, we provide vital and diverse public services like law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, and cultural activities.
The County has more than 2,100 different job types, offering a lifetime of opportunities and careers! We are dedicated professionals committed to preserving the dignity and integrity of the workplace as well as protecting the rights of each employee. Join us and discover one of the strongest public\-sector benefits packages in the county with a rich selection of health care options, robust retirement plans and the flexibility to work, relax, and rejuvenate to reach your fullest personal and professional potential.
For more information about the amazing benefits offered by Los Angeles County, please visit us here: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/
Essential Job Functions
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- Plans, organizes, supervises, manages, and evaluates highly technical and complex assignments of the section; with staff, develops, implements, and monitors data science projects from inception to implementation to ensure that the objectives and desired outcomes are achieved, and that critical decisions are made in a timely manner.
- Plans, assigns, and reviews the work of data scientists and analysts to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with business needs; ensures that section products and services continue to perform as desired over time and directs updates and modifications to these as necessary.
- Collaborates with IT group and program managers to identify departmental or divisional business needs and issues of strategic importance; implements enhancements to existing systems, recommends alternative systems, and assists in developing and implementing new data engineering, data modeling, and data science solutions as appropriate.
- In conjunction with the governance board and executive committees, defines the overall vision and strategy for data analytics across the organization.
- Assists to develop, implement, and evaluate divisional/departmental initiatives, strategies, and operational objectives through deployment of big data; advocates for measurability in strategic planning and operations in order to build analytics and evaluation into program design on a foundational level.
- Evaluates, manages, and participates in all aspects of the section’s solution development, including quality assurance and maintenance of data sets integrated from multiple sources; exploratory data analysis; model creation, testing, and deployment; presentation of findings; and consultation with program managers regarding effective operationalization and model fidelity to improve business outcomes.
- Directs the development of technical reports, dashboards, data briefs, white papers, and publications, including advanced data visualization tools.
- Works with IT data engineers and architects to develop and maintain large\-scale databases that meet high standards for completeness, accuracy, and utility; supervises and participates in quality control checks of data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of large\-scale, structured, unstructured, and streaming data.
- Advises divisional/departmental managers on opportunities and gaps in their current capabilities across data science technology and infrastructure; recommends plans for growth through adoption of new methods and technologies.
- Builds solutions that apply machine learning techniques to address complex business problems, derive actionable insights, and maximize decision\-making confidence. Makes recommendations, develops technical infrastructure and analytic competencies, and participates in project selection to inform and execute the data science strategy of the County, department, or division.
- Stays current with and contributes to discovery of data science best practices; mentors staff and ensures the section maintains ongoing training and professional development and is competent in all techniques necessary to complete their duties; and participates in the broader data science community to identify and disseminate the latest developments in data and technology.
- Serves as a technical resource for divisional/departmental managers on data\-driven program design and management and the translation of data science and knowledge into improved business outcomes, efficiency, and effectiveness of business processes.
For more information, please view the classification specification: Data Scientist Supervisor
Requirements
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Requirements to Qualify:
Two (2\) years of experience leading the development and application of methods to identify, collect, process, and analyze data using advanced statistical prediction, inference, and optimization, and providing ongoing support to decision makers to strengthen data\-driven program design and management, at a level equivalent to the Los Angeles County class of Senior Data Scientist.
Out\-of\-Class and Withhold Information:
OUT\-OF CLASS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. NO WITHHOLD WILL BE ALLOWED. Required education and experience must be fully met at the time of filing and clearly indicated on the application.
License:
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job\-related essential functions.
Physical class:
Physical Class 2 – Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10\-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:* You may still qualify even if your job title isn’t exactly the same as the one(s) listed. What matters is that your experience is at a similar level — meaning your job involves similar responsibilities, requires comparable skills and knowledge, and takes place within a similar organizational structure. Please provide a clear explanation of your experience to demonstrate that it is at the appropriate level.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Additional points toward the final examination score will be awarded for the following:
- Experience applying data science methods within healthcare\-related projects, including work with HIPAA\-covered protected health information.
Additional Information
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Examination Content:
This examination will consist of an assessment of experience and education based on application information, desirable qualifications, and supplemental questionnaire information submitted at the time of filing, weighted at 100%.
Applicants must receive a passing score of 70% or higher on the assessment to be added to the eligible list.
Eligibility and Vacancy Information:
Applicants who passed the assessment(s) are placed on a list for a period of 12 months. We will use this to fill vacancies as they occur.
Notices of non\-acceptance and final results will be sent via email.
Application and filing information:
We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.
Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.
We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.
We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re\-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.
New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.
Social Security Number
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.
Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries
For those who do not have access to a computer or the internet, we provide access to complete an application at public libraries throughout the county.
No Sharing of User ID, email, and Password
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's login information may erase a candidate's original application record.
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Anti\-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti\-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.
Contact Information
HR Examinations Unit: (213\) 972\-7034
HR Examinations Unit Email: [email protected]
Department Contact Name: Cheyenne Medina
Department Contact Phone and Email: (213\) 719\-3507, [email protected]
ADA Coordinator: (213\) 719\-3507
Teletype Phone: (800\) 899\-4099
California Relay Services Phone: (800\) 735\-2922
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Employment Information
Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Non\-Discrimination Statement:
The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non\-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo\-programs/.
Testing Accommodations for Applicants:
The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.
Fair Chance:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952\).
Employment Eligibility:
Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.
Career PathFinder:
Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career\-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.
Veteran’s Credit:
Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.
For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102\_PPG\_115\.pdf (Download PDF reader)
Revised September 2025
Salary Context
This $126K-$169K range is below the median for Data Scientist roles in our dataset (median: $160K across 258 roles with salary data).
View full Data Scientist salary data →Role Details
About This Role
Data Scientists extract insights and build predictive models from data. In the AI era, many roles now include LLM-powered analytics, automated reporting, and integration with generative AI tools. The role has evolved from 'the person who runs SQL queries' to 'the person who builds AI-powered data products.'
Modern data science roles fall into two camps: analytics-focused (insights, dashboards, experimentation) and ML-focused (building predictive models, recommendation systems, NLP features). The best data scientists can operate in both modes. The AI shift means that even analytics-focused roles now involve building automated insight pipelines using LLMs, going well beyond one-off reports.
Across the 4,317 AI roles we're tracking, Data Scientist positions make up 8% of the market. At County of Los Angeles, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: analyzing experiment results for a product feature launch, building a predictive model for customer churn, creating an automated reporting pipeline using LLM-powered summarization, presenting insights to stakeholders, and cleaning data (always cleaning data). The ratio of analysis to engineering varies by company, but expect both.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
Skills in Demand for This Role
Python, SQL, and statistical modeling are the foundation. Increasingly, roles want experience with LLMs for data analysis, automated insight generation, and building AI-powered data products. Familiarity with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks) and ML frameworks (scikit-learn, PyTorch) covers most job requirements.
Experimentation design and causal inference are underrated skills that separate strong candidates. Companies care about whether their product changes cause improvements, and can distinguish causation from correlation. A/B testing methodology, Bayesian statistics, and the ability to communicate uncertainty to non-technical stakeholders are high-value skills.
Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
Compensation Benchmarks
Data Scientist roles pay a median of $192,890 based on 789 positions with disclosed compensation. Mid-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $194,400. This role's midpoint ($147K) sits 23% below the category median. Disclosed range: $126K to $169K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($287,500) and Research Engineer ($272,100). By seniority level: Entry: $110,000; Mid: $194,400; Senior: $227,400; Director: $274,554; VP: $241,000.
County of Los Angeles AI Hiring
County of Los Angeles has 1 open AI role right now. They're hiring across Data Scientist. Based in CA, US. Compensation range: $169K - $169K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 15% (635 positions) offer remote work, while 3,657 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (1,650 roles, $220,000 median); San Francisco (1,335 roles, $265,000 median); Los Angeles (708 roles, $214,112 median).
Career Path
Common paths into Data Scientist roles include Data Analyst, Statistician, Quantitative Researcher.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Senior Data Scientist, ML Engineer, AI Product Manager.
Start with statistics and SQL. Build a real analysis project on public data that demonstrates insight generation alongside model building. The market values data scientists who can communicate findings clearly to business stakeholders. If you want to move toward ML engineering, invest in software engineering fundamentals and production deployment skills.
What to Expect in Interviews
Interviews combine statistics, coding, and business acumen. SQL is almost always tested, often with complex joins and window functions. Expect a case study round where you're given a business problem and asked to design an analysis plan. Coding rounds focus on pandas, statistical modeling, and visualization. The strongest differentiator is how well you communicate insights to non-technical stakeholders during presentation rounds.
When evaluating opportunities: Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 4,317 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 138 entry-level, 2,071 mid-level, 1,655 senior, and 453 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 15% of the market (635 positions). The remaining 3,657 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($287,500 median, 34 roles); Research Engineer ($272,100 median, 227 roles); AI Engineering Manager ($244,000 median, 23 roles).
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 4,317 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (3,004), Data Scientist (345), AI Software Engineer (309). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (138) are outnumbered by mid-level (2,071) and senior (1,655) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 453 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 15% of all AI roles (635 positions), with 3,657 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $215,000. Top-quartile roles start at $266,300, and the 90th percentile reaches $320,790. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $287,500 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $145,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (2,249 postings), Aws (1,224 postings), Azure (938 postings), Rag (915 postings), Gcp (660 postings), Pytorch (640 postings), Prompt Engineering (624 postings), Kubernetes (559 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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