Data Scientist Pay in the US: Official Figures and Their Limits
US wage percentiles for data scientists, state medians, and an explanation of why this page carries no figures for other countries.
Published by SalaryBases. Drafted with AI assistance and revised to remove or reword figures we could not trace to a source. Not reviewed by a licensed professional. Pay figures come only from the official datasets named beside each table and apply only to the country, year and definition stated there. Methodology
The link to this page mentions a global overview. We no longer provide one: we could not verify international data scientist pay against a primary source, so this guide covers the United States, where official figures exist, and says plainly what those figures do and do not measure.
What US government data shows
| Occupation (SOC) | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | $67,240 | $120,230 | $199,130 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists (15-1221) | $82,200 | $140,300 | $230,630 |
| Computer Systems Analysts (15-1211) | $67,340 | $105,850 | $167,710 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Scope: United States, national estimates, all industries, annual wages in US dollars (retrieved 9 October 2026). The median is the middle wage: half of the workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less; 10th/90th percentile mean 10% earn less/more. The survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments and excludes the self-employed, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, equity and employer benefit costs. BLS methodology.
Data scientists have a 10th percentile of $67,240, a median of $120,230 and a 90th percentile of $199,130. Computer and information research scientists have a higher median ($140,300) and computer systems analysts a lower one ($105,850).
An important definition: "data scientist" is used loosely by employers. Some roles counted here involve model building, others reporting and dashboards, and much of that work is classified elsewhere. Match your actual duties to the official occupation definition before using the figure.
The same job, different states
| State | Median |
|---|---|
| Washington | $163,350 |
| California | $141,590 |
| Massachusetts | $131,750 |
| New York | $130,460 |
| Texas | $122,090 |
| Colorado | $117,400 |
| Florida | $115,820 |
| Georgia | $104,340 |
| Ohio | $102,630 |
| Mississippi | $69,490 |
| United States (national) | $120,230 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, state estimates, all industries (retrieved 9 October 2026). The ten states are a convenience selection, not a ranking of all states. State values do not adjust for cost of living. BLS state tables.
Washington ($163,350) is the highest state median in this selection, above California ($141,590), against a national median of $120,230. Mississippi ($69,490) is the lowest. These are unadjusted cash wages for wage and salary workers only. Compare living costs with the Cost of Living Comparison before treating a higher state median as a better deal.
What the figure leaves out
- Equity and nonproduction bonuses: excluded from the survey, so total pay at some employers is higher than these numbers.
- The self-employed and freelancers: not covered. Data science contracting is common.
- Title inflation: without checking duties, a "data scientist" title can mean very different work.
- Industry mix: the same occupation pays differently across sectors. BLS publishes industry-level tables if you need that split.
Experience
BLS groups all experience levels into one occupation, so this table cannot tell you what a junior or a staff-level data scientist earns. In practice, use the percentile spread as a proxy: the 10th percentile row is closer to early-career pay and the 90th percentile to senior levels, but that is an interpretation, not a published figure. Ask about level definitions in interviews.
Comparing an offer
Use the Job Offer Comparator to weigh base against bonus, equity, remote flexibility and benefits, and the Gross to Net calculator for take-home pay. If you are moving towards a data role from another field, the Career Switch Calculator compares your current pay with the new role, and the tech pay guide shows the official figures for related occupations.
Key takeaways
- Data scientists in the US: 10th percentile $67,240, median $120,230, 90th percentile $199,130.
- Washington has the highest state median in the selection at $163,350; Mississippi the lowest at $69,490.
- Equity and bonuses are outside the figures, and the self-employed are not covered.
- We removed the international salary comparisons from this page because we could not verify them.
Sources used in this guide
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: methodology and tables — Every wage figure in the tables above (each row links to its own BLS occupation profile).
- BLS OEWS overview — The survey produces wage estimates for approximately 830 occupations in the United States.
- BLS OEWS May 2025: technical notes (what the wage figures include and exclude) — Scope of BLS wage figures: wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments; excludes the self-employed, overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.