MNTN, the Connected TV advertising platform behind what it calls the "Hardest Working Software in Television," is actively hiring a Senior Data Scientist in the United States. The role sits at the intersection of identity resolution, graph-based modeling, and large-scale data infrastructure. Before applying, most candidates want to know one thing: what does the compensation actually look like?
This post breaks down salary ranges, equity, benefits, and how MNTN stacks up against the broader industry for this level of data science talent.
Typical Base Salary for a Senior Data Scientist at MNTN
MNTN has not publicly disclosed a salary range in this particular job listing. However, based on compensation data from Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and Blind, Senior Data Scientists at mid-to-late stage tech companies in the ad tech space typically earn between $145,000 and $190,000 in annual base salary across the United States.
Location plays a significant role in where within that range a candidate lands. Remote-friendly companies like MNTN often apply geographic pay bands. Candidates in high-cost metros like San Francisco or New York tend to receive offers at the upper end.
MNTN operates as a remote-first company. That means your physical location could influence your total base compensation, depending on how the company structures its pay tiers internally.
How Experience Affects the Number
The title "Senior Data Scientist" covers a wide experience range across the industry. Most companies define the level by years of relevant experience and scope of past work. Here is a general breakdown:
- 5 to 7 years of experience: Base salary typically ranges from $145,000 to $160,000
- 7 to 10 years of experience: Base salary typically ranges from $160,000 to $180,000
- 10-plus years with specialized graph or identity expertise: Base salary can reach $185,000 to $200,000
This MNTN role specifically requires expertise in graph-based entity resolution, cross-device attribution, and identity signal unification. Those are specialized skills. Candidates with that background typically command higher offers than generalist senior data scientists.
Total Compensation Structure
Base salary is only one piece. At companies operating in the ad tech and performance marketing space, total compensation packages usually include several components beyond the base.
Annual Performance Bonus
Most senior individual contributor roles at companies of MNTN's scale include an annual bonus tied to company or individual performance. For Senior Data Scientists, this typically ranges from 10 to 20 percent of base salary. At a $160,000 base, that could mean an additional $16,000 to $32,000 per year.
Bonuses at growth-stage tech companies are rarely guaranteed. They depend on hitting revenue targets, product milestones, or personal performance reviews. The structure varies widely by company policy.
Equity Compensation
MNTN is a privately held company. That distinction matters when evaluating equity. Unlike publicly traded companies, where RSUs convert to tradable stock on a vesting schedule, equity at private companies carries more uncertainty and longer liquidity timelines.
Private company equity typically comes in the form of stock options or restricted stock units that only become liquid through an IPO, acquisition, or secondary market sale. For a company that Fast Company named one of its Most Innovative Companies in 2023, an eventual liquidity event is a realistic long-term possibility, but not guaranteed.
Senior-level hires at private tech companies in this revenue range commonly receive equity grants valued between $50,000 and $150,000 over a four-year vesting period. That adds meaningful value to the total package if and when a liquidity event occurs.
Benefits Package at MNTN
MNTN emphasizes a people-first culture throughout its job descriptions and employer branding. The company was named one of Ad Age's Best Places to Work in 2025, which suggests benefits are competitive relative to peers. While the full benefits breakdown requires direct confirmation, companies at this stage and with this employer reputation typically offer:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with low or no employee premiums
- 401(k) plan, often with employer matching up to 4 to 6 percent
- Flexible or unlimited paid time off policies
- Remote work stipends for home office equipment and internet
- Parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers
- Learning and development budgets for courses, conferences, or certifications
The remote-first model also removes commuting costs entirely. For many candidates, that represents real financial value on top of the stated compensation number.
How MNTN Compares to Industry Standards
The ad tech sector sits in an interesting compensation position. It pays more than traditional media companies but generally less than the highest-paying pure software companies like Google or Meta. For Senior Data Scientists specializing in identity resolution and attribution, the competitive market looks like this:
- Big tech (Google, Meta, Amazon): Total compensation often exceeds $300,000 to $400,000 when including RSUs
- Mid-market ad tech companies: Total compensation typically ranges from $200,000 to $280,000
- Growth-stage private companies like MNTN: Total compensation generally falls between $170,000 and $240,000, with equity upside factored in
MNTN likely lands in the mid-tier of this spectrum. The trade-off is meaningful equity potential in a private company still on a growth trajectory, combined with a culture that candidates who have worked there consistently rate highly.
What Makes This Role Compensation-Worthy
The scope of this Senior Data Scientist position is broader than many roles carrying the same title. You would be working on MNTN's sovereign identity data backbone, which powers targeting, bidding, measurement, and cross-device attribution across its entire Performance TV product.
That is infrastructure-level work. Graph-based identity resolution at scale is a difficult, high-value problem. Companies solving it well hold a significant competitive advantage in the connected TV advertising space. Being the person who shapes that methodology carries strategic weight, not just technical weight.
Roles with that kind of organizational impact often come with stronger negotiating leverage at offer time. Candidates with demonstrated experience in graph neural networks, probabilistic identity matching, or household-level attribution models are rare. Supply is low. Demand is high.
How to Evaluate the Offer You Receive
When MNTN extends an offer, evaluate the total package across all four components: base, bonus, equity, and benefits. Do not compare base salary in isolation. A lower base with strong equity at a company approaching a liquidity event can outperform a higher base with no upside elsewhere.
Ask specifically about the company's most recent 409A valuation if equity is part of the offer. That number helps you understand the current estimated value of your options or units. Also ask about the vesting cliff, which is typically one year before any equity vests at all.
Research competing offers from companies like The Trade Desk, LiveRamp, Integral Ad Science, or other ad tech firms hiring at the senior data science level. That data gives you real negotiating context. Compensation benchmarking sites like Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and Comprehensive.io all provide role-specific data that supports informed negotiation.
MNTN is building something technically ambitious in a growing market segment. The Senior Data Scientist opportunity there comes with real scope, a well-regarded culture, and compensation that competes reasonably within the private ad tech space. Candidates who value meaningful technical problems alongside equity upside will find the package worth evaluating closely. You can review the full job posting and apply directly at https://himalayas.app/companies/mntn/jobs/senior-data-scientist.
