Data Scientist Salary
Data scientists analyze complex datasets to extract actionable insights and build predictive models. They combine statistics, machine learning, and domain expertise to drive data-driven decisions.
National Salary Distribution
Top Paying Cities for Data Scientist
| # | City | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $165,000 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $162,000 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $158,000 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $148,000 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $145,000 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | $142,000 |
| 7 | San Diego, CA | $138,000 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $132,000 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $132,000 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $128,000 |
Best After Cost of Living
| # | City | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus, OH | $115,385 |
| 2 | Raleigh, NC | $114,563 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | $113,333 |
| 4 | Detroit, MI | $112,360 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $112,150 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | $112,150 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $111,650 |
| 8 | Dallas, TX | $111,607 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $111,111 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $109,259 |
Data Scientist Salary — All Cities
| City | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $125,000 | $165,000 | $215,000 | $270,000 | 18,000 |
| Seattle, WA | $123,000 | $162,000 | $210,000 | $262,000 | 16,000 |
| New York, NY | $120,000 | $158,000 | $205,000 | $258,000 | 24,000 |
| Boston, MA | $112,000 | $148,000 | $192,000 | $240,000 | 14,000 |
| Washington, DC | $110,000 | $145,000 | $188,000 | $235,000 | 15,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $108,000 | $142,000 | $185,000 | $230,000 | 16,000 |
| San Diego, CA | $105,000 | $138,000 | $179,000 | $224,000 | 8,000 |
| Austin, TX | $100,000 | $132,000 | $172,000 | $215,000 | 12,000 |
| Portland, OR | $100,000 | $132,000 | $172,000 | $215,000 | 6,000 |
| Denver, CO | $97,000 | $128,000 | $166,000 | $208,000 | 9,000 |
| Dallas, TX | $95,000 | $125,000 | $162,000 | $202,000 | 11,000 |
| Chicago, IL | $91,000 | $120,000 | $156,000 | $196,000 | 11,000 |
| Houston, TX | $91,000 | $120,000 | $156,000 | $196,000 | 9,000 |
| Atlanta, GA | $90,000 | $118,000 | $153,000 | $191,000 | 9,000 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $90,000 | $118,000 | $153,000 | $191,000 | 7,000 |
| Raleigh, NC | $90,000 | $118,000 | $153,000 | $191,000 | 7,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $87,000 | $115,000 | $149,000 | $186,000 | 8,000 |
| Miami, FL | $85,000 | $112,000 | $146,000 | $182,000 | 7,000 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $85,000 | $112,000 | $146,000 | $182,000 | 5,000 |
| Nashville, TN | $83,000 | $110,000 | $143,000 | $179,000 | 5,000 |
| Charlotte, NC | $82,000 | $108,000 | $140,000 | $175,000 | 6,000 |
| Richmond, VA | $82,000 | $108,000 | $140,000 | $175,000 | 4,000 |
| Columbus, OH | $80,000 | $105,000 | $136,000 | $170,000 | 5,000 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $77,000 | $102,000 | $132,000 | $166,000 | 4,000 |
| Detroit, MI | $76,000 | $100,000 | $130,000 | $163,000 | 4,000 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $76,000 | $100,000 | $130,000 | $163,000 | 4,000 |
| Louisville, KY | $70,000 | $93,000 | $121,000 | $151,000 | 3,000 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $68,000 | $90,000 | $117,000 | $146,000 | 3,000 |
| Memphis, TN | $66,000 | $88,000 | $114,000 | $143,000 | 2,000 |
| El Paso, TX | $62,000 | $82,000 | $106,000 | $133,000 | 2,000 |
Compare Data Scientist Salaries: City vs City
Top Skills for Data Scientist
5About the Data Scientist Role
Data scientists analyze complex datasets to extract actionable insights and build predictive models. They combine statistics, machine learning, and domain expertise to drive data-driven decisions.
Compensation for Data Scientists varies widely by metro — from $82,000 at the low end in El Paso, TX to $165,000 in San Francisco, CA. The $83,000 gap largely reflects local demand, cost of living, and concentration of high-paying employers. A Data Scientist earning the top-metro median in a lower-cost city would likely take a nominal pay cut but see higher purchasing power — which is why the COL-adjusted ranking above often differs sharply from the raw-salary ranking.
Career tenure and pay progression follow a typical three-stage pattern. The 25th percentile ($92,246) generally represents entry-level roles with 0–2 years of experience. The median ($119,800) reflects mid-career Data Scientists with 3–7 years of domain experience. The 75th percentile ($153,344) typically requires senior or lead-level responsibility, and the 90th percentile ($191,680) captures principal, staff, or specialist roles — often at larger employers or in high-demand sub-specialties. The jump from P50 to P90 is roughly 60%, which gives a rough ceiling on what most Data Scientists can realistically earn in a full career.
The skills that most influence pay for this role cluster around Python, Machine Learning, SQL. Employment concentration and year-over-year growth rates (visible in the per-metro table above) are the two best leading indicators for whether a market is healthy for Data Scientists — a metro with high total employment and 5%+ yearly growth typically signals strong hiring pipelines and negotiating leverage. Markets with declining or flat employment can pay above average because they retain senior talent, but they offer fewer entry points.
If you're weighing a move, start with the COL-adjusted column above — that's the best single signal for where your money actually goes further. Then check the state tax rate (some states like Texas, Florida, Washington, and Tennessee have no state income tax, which can add 4–9% to take-home depending on your salary). For side-by-side comparisons between specific metros, use the compare links above or the salary calculator. For state-level overviews, browse all occupations or explore related roles.