Checked
Data Scientists Salary
Data Scientists earn a median $120,230 a year in the U.S., with 262,440 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $120,230 a year
- Employment
- 262,440
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- +34.6%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 24,800
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $120,230 · $57.80 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $126,800 · $60.96 an hour (estimate error ±0.7%)
- 10th percentile
- $67,240 · $32.33 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $85,660 · $41.18 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $158,880 · $76.39 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $199,130 · $95.74 an hour
- Employment
- 262,440 (estimate error ±1.1%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports. Excludes “Statisticians” (15-2041), “Cartographers and Photogrammetrists” (17-1021), and “Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars” (29-9021).
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 275,600
- Projected for 2035
- 371,000
- Change
- +95,400 (+34.6%)
- Openings each year
- 24,800
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1.9%
Occupational Outlook Handbook (duties, how to become one, work environment)
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $163,350 | 9,600 |
| 2 | California | $141,590 | 39,310 |
| 3 | Maryland | $136,370 | 3,340 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $135,280 | 6,430 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $131,750 | 9,420 |
| 6 | New York | $130,460 | 23,970 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $128,800 | 4,020 |
| 8 | Vermont | $127,070 | 200 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $126,490 | 2,680 |
| 10 | Virginia | $126,430 | 8,920 |
States with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 39,310 | $141,590 |
| Texas | 25,860 | $122,090 |
| New York | 23,970 | $130,460 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,810 | $106,850 |
| North Carolina | 11,430 | $119,090 |
| Illinois | 10,520 | $106,560 |
| Florida | 10,240 | $115,820 |
| Washington | 9,600 | $163,350 |
| Massachusetts | 9,420 | $131,750 |
| Georgia | 9,260 | $104,340 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
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| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $185,080 | 6,060 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $170,110 | 10,460 |
| 3 | Idaho Falls, ID | $167,840 | 230 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $164,740 | 8,370 |
| 5 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $156,830 | 150 |
| 6 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $146,980 | 210 |
| 7 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $141,760 | 570 |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $135,980 | 23,160 |
| 9 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $135,320 | 430 |
| 10 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $134,320 | 1,090 |
| 11 | Boulder, CO | $134,040 | 540 |
| 12 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $132,460 | 4,420 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Visa filings for this occupation
Wages employers offered on Department of Labor filings
- H-1B (FY 2026 through Q3)28,053 certified filingsMedian offered wage $125,000
- PERM green card (FY 2026 through Q3)3,969 certified filingsMedian offered wage $131,498
Data Scientists pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Related occupations
Frequently asked questions
- How much do data scientists make?
- The median wage for data scientists in the U.S. is $120,230 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $85,660 and $158,880.
- Which state pays data scientists the most?
- Washington has the highest median wage for this occupation at $163,350 a year.
- What is the job outlook for data scientists?
- BLS projects employment to grow 34.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings each year on average.
- What education do data scientists need?
- The typical entry-level education is: bachelor's degree.