Data Scientist | Epic Systems Global Negotiation Guide

Negotiation DNA: Private Company / No Public Equity / Bonus-Only Variable / Clinical Analytics

Region	Base Salary	Bonus	Profit Sharing	Total Comp
Verona WI	$125K–$175K	10%	Variable	$135K–$195K
Remote (rare)	$115K–$165K	10%	Variable	$125K–$185K

CRITICAL: Epic's Unique Compensation Structure

Epic is privately held — no RSUs, stock options, or public equity. Total comp = base + bonus (10%) + discretionary profit sharing. Data scientists at Epic work on Cogito (analytics/reporting), predictive models embedded in EpicCare clinical workflows, and Cosmos research analytics.

Negotiation DNA

Data Scientists at Epic build predictive models and analytics that are embedded directly into clinical workflows — a rare privilege in healthcare data science. Most healthcare data scientists build models that sit in dashboards or reports; at Epic, your models are deployed inside the EHR that clinicians use at the point of care. Epic's data science work spans clinical prediction (sepsis risk, readmission prediction, deterioration alerts), operational optimization (OR scheduling, bed management, staffing), and population health analytics (Healthy Planet). The Cosmos database — 250M+ de-identified patient records — enables research-scale analyses that no other EHR vendor can match. Data scientists at Epic need statistical rigor (survival analysis, causal inference, longitudinal modeling), clinical domain knowledge, and the ability to build models that clinicians trust. The unique opportunity to embed ML directly in clinical workflows gives Epic data scientists outsized clinical impact. [Source: Epic Cogito and Clinical Decision Support 2025]

Level Mapping: Epic Data Scientist = UHG DS (lower TC) = Optum DS (lower TC) = Tempus DS (lower TC)

Global Levers

1. Clinical Workflow Integration: "My models at Epic will be embedded directly in clinical workflows — not sitting in dashboards. This direct clinical integration means my predictions influence real-time clinical decisions for 300M+ patients. The impact is unmatched in healthcare data science."
2. Cosmos Research Dataset: "Epic's Cosmos dataset (250M+ de-identified records) is one of the most powerful healthcare research assets in the world. My analytical work on Cosmos has research and clinical impact that data scientists at other companies simply can't achieve."
3. No-Equity Base Push: "I'd receive $50K-$140K in RSUs at Optum, Tempus, or pharma companies. Epic's base needs to compensate — I need $170K+ to make the cash comp competitive."
4. Clinical Data Science Expertise: "I bring healthcare data science experience with clinical prediction models, survival analysis, and clinical validation methodologies. Epic needs data scientists who understand clinical rigor — not just ML accuracy metrics."

Negotiate Up Strategy: "I'd like the base at $170K with a 10% bonus. My clinical data science experience — building [prediction models / analytics] deployed in healthcare workflows at [current company] — maps directly to Epic's Cogito and clinical decision support needs." Epic will counter at $140K-$160K. Accept if base exceeds $150K. Base salary is your only lever; push hard.

Evidence & Sources

• [Epic Cogito and Clinical Decision Support Analytics 2025]
• [Glassdoor Epic Systems Data Scientist Comp 2025-2026]
• [Epic Cosmos Research Database — 250M+ Patient Records]