Data Scientist salary in the U.S.
Data Scientists in the U.S. earn a median of $120,230 a year ($57.80 an hour), based on BLS data for 262,440 workers.
Pay ranges from $67,240 for the lowest-paid 10% to $199,130 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $126,800, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for data scientists in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $67,240 | $32.33 |
| 25th percentile | $85,660 | $41.18 |
| Median | $120,230 | $57.80 |
| 75th percentile | $158,880 | $76.39 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $199,130 | $95.74 |
| Average (mean) | $126,800 | $60.96 |
Half of data scientists earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $10,019.17 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $5,009.58 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $4,624.23 |
| Weekly | $2,312.12 |
| Hourly | $57.80 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Data Scientist salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $163,350 | 9,600 |
| California | $141,590 | 39,310 |
| Maryland | $136,370 | 3,340 |
| New Jersey | $135,280 | 6,430 |
| Massachusetts | $131,750 | 9,420 |
| New York | $130,460 | 23,970 |
| Minnesota | $128,800 | 4,020 |
| Vermont | $127,070 | 200 |
| District of Columbia | $126,490 | 2,680 |
| Virginia | $126,430 | 8,920 |
| Connecticut | $126,340 | 1,760 |
| Oregon | $125,990 | 2,140 |
| Texas | $122,090 | 25,860 |
| North Carolina | $119,090 | 11,430 |
| Colorado | $117,400 | 6,280 |
| Florida | $115,820 | 10,240 |
| Arkansas | $109,390 | 530 |
| Utah | $108,090 | 4,360 |
| Arizona | $107,240 | 4,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $106,850 | 13,810 |
| Wisconsin | $106,680 | 4,370 |
| Illinois | $106,560 | 10,520 |
| Georgia | $104,340 | 9,260 |
| Alabama | $103,120 | 1,740 |
| Ohio | $102,630 | 6,100 |
| Rhode Island | $102,440 | 1,160 |
| Hawaii | $102,130 | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $100,620 | 1,100 |
| Michigan | $100,590 | 7,360 |
| Montana | $100,490 | 220 |
| Tennessee | $100,330 | 2,790 |
| Nevada | $98,540 | 1,680 |
| Nebraska | $98,230 | 1,980 |
| Kansas | $98,130 | 490 |
| Missouri | $97,090 | 4,730 |
| South Dakota | $96,150 | 220 |
| New Mexico | $95,850 | 560 |
| Iowa | $95,830 | 2,300 |
| South Carolina | $91,990 | 3,750 |
| Kentucky | $91,760 | 1,540 |
| Indiana | $91,470 | 3,580 |
| Maine | $90,880 | 1,210 |
| Idaho | $89,380 | 1,350 |
| Oklahoma | $86,310 | 1,900 |
| West Virginia | $85,090 | 390 |
| Alaska | $84,110 | 230 |
| North Dakota | $81,900 | 210 |
| Puerto Rico | $80,350 | 100 |
| Louisiana | $78,760 | 1,300 |
| Mississippi | $69,490 | 440 |
Best-paying metro areas for data scientists
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $185,080 | 6,060 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $170,110 | 10,460 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $167,840 | 230 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $164,740 | 8,370 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $156,830 | 150 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $149,800 | n/a |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $146,980 | 210 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $141,760 | 570 |
| Corvallis, OR | $140,190 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $135,980 | 23,160 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $135,320 | 430 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $134,320 | 1,090 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $134,220 | 60 |
| Boulder, CO | $134,040 | 540 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $132,460 | 4,420 |
Metro areas with the most data scientists
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 23,160 | $135,980 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 10,460 | $170,110 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10,120 | $127,750 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 9,850 | $129,740 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 9,260 | $132,200 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 8,370 | $164,740 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 7,940 | $107,640 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 7,930 | $132,040 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 6,820 | $108,940 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 6,480 | $109,910 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,060 | $185,080 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,510 | $112,520 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 4,420 | $132,460 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 4,060 | $106,750 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 3,810 | $103,330 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Research Analyst | $88,940 | $42.76 |
| Statistician | $105,650 | $50.79 |
| Actuary | $130,000 | $62.50 |
| Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | $81,490 | $39.18 |
| Mathematician | $126,710 | $60.92 |
| Software Developer | $135,980 | $65.38 |
| Computer User Support Specialist | $61,860 | $29.74 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $105,850 | $50.89 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $116,580 | $56.05 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $99,130 | $47.66 |
| Information Security Analyst | $129,180 | $62.11 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | $104,300 | $50.14 |
| Computer Network Architect | $134,050 | $64.45 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | $76,220 | $36.64 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 15-2051. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a data scientist make in the U.S.?
The median salary for data scientists in the U.S. is $120,230 a year, or $57.80 an hour. Pay ranges from $67,240 for the lowest-paid 10% to $199,130 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid data scientists make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of data scientists in the U.S. earn at least $199,130 a year. The top 25% earn $158,880 or more.
What is the starting pay for data scientists in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $67,240 a year, and a quarter of data scientists earn $85,660 or less.
How many data scientists work in the U.S.?
About 262,440 data scientists are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.