Data Scientist Salary: San Francisco, CA vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side comparison of wages and local price levels for Data Scientists in San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data and BEA regional price parities for 2024.
1Which City Pays More?
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Salary | $170,110▲ | $132,040 | +$38,070 |
| 25th Percentile | $130,430▲ | $102,720 | +$27,710 |
| 75th Percentile | $212,970▲ | $166,120 | +$46,850 |
| 90th Percentile | $272,430▲ | $206,220 | +$66,210 |
| Price Level (BEA 2024, US = 100) | 115.6 | 108.3 | +7.3 |
| Median at National-Average Prices | $147,137▲ | $121,959 | +$25,178 |
| Total Employment | 10,460 | 7,930 | +2,530 |
3Summary Analysis
On paper, San Francisco, CA pays $38,070 more (median: $170,110 vs $132,040). BEA's regional price parity is 115.6 in San Francisco, CA and 108.3 in Boston, MA (United States = 100). At national-average prices the medians are $147,137 and $121,959, so San Francisco, CA comes out ahead once local prices are counted.
4More Data Scientist City Comparisons
5Reading This Comparison
The $38,070 gap between the two medians is a gap in dollars, not in what those dollars buy. Dividing each median by its area's regional price parity restates it at national-average prices: $147,137 for San Francisco and $121,959 for Boston, a difference of $25,178.
The price levels come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which describes them this way: “Regional price parities (RPPs) measure the differences in price levels across states and metropolitan areas for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level.” The figures used here are the all-items index for each whole metropolitan area (San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH) and cover prices only, not taxes.
BLS estimates 10,460 Data Scientist jobs in the San Francisco area and 7,930 in the Boston area. For broader context, see our California overview and the full Data Scientist city ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Data Scientist salary higher in San Francisco, CA or Boston, MA?
San Francisco, CA has the higher median wage for Data Scientists ($170,110 per year, against $132,040 in Boston, MA; BLS OEWS May 2025). Restated at national-average prices using BEA regional price parities, the medians are $147,137 in San Francisco, CA and $121,959 in Boston, MA.
How do prices compare between San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA?
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the 2024 regional price parity at 115.6 for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area and 108.3 for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, where the United States is 100. That is 15.6% above the national level for San Francisco, CA and 8.3% above the national level for Boston, MA.
Which city pays Data Scientists more once local prices are counted?
San Francisco, CA: at national-average prices its median Data Scientist wage is $147,137, against $121,959 for Boston, MA. The adjustment divides each median by the area's BEA regional price parity and covers prices only, not taxes.