How much do data scientists make?
Answer
Data scientists in the US earned a median of $120,230 a year ($57.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $85,660 to $158,880.
- Median annual pay
- $120,230
- Mean $126,800
- Median hourly pay
- $57.80
- Mean $60.96
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $67.2K–$199K
- $67,240 to $199,130
- US jobs
- 262,440
- +34.6% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become a data scientist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Washington
Data Scientist pay range
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$67,240
- 25th percentile$85,660
- Median$120,230
- 75th percentile$158,880
- 90th percentile$199,130
Half of all data scientists earned more than $120,230 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $67,240; the top 10% made over $199,130. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $85,660 to $158,880.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $67,240 | $32.33 | $5,603 |
| 25th | $85,660 | $41.18 | $7,138 |
| Median (50th) | $120,230 | $57.80 | $10,019 |
| 75th | $158,880 | $76.39 | $13,240 |
| 90th | $199,130 | $95.74 | $16,594 |
| Mean (average) | $126,800 | $60.96 | $10,567 |
Data Scientist salary by state
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. Washington $163,350
- 2. California $141,590
- 3. Maryland $136,370
- 4. New Jersey $135,280
- 5. Massachusetts $131,750
Lowest-paying states
- 49. Mississippi $69,490
- 48. Louisiana $78,760
- 47. North Dakota $81,900
- 46. Alaska $84,110
- 45. West Virginia $85,090
Best after cost of living: Washington. Its median of $163,350 is worth about $152,645 at national-average prices.
| Alabama | $103,120 | 24 | $116,096 | 15 | $49.58 | 1,740 | 0.82 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $84,110 | 46 | $82,172 | 48 | $40.44 | 230 | 0.72 |
| Arizona | $107,240 | 19 | $106,519 | 31 | $51.56 | 4,560 | 1.41 |
| Arkansas | $109,390 | 17 | $125,827 | 7 | $52.59 | 530 | 0.41 |
| California | $141,590 | 2 | $127,881 | 5 | $68.07 | 39,310 | 2.16 |
| Colorado | $117,400 | 15 | $113,923 | 17 | $56.44 | 6,280 | 2.19 |
| Connecticut | $126,340 | 11 | $121,938 | 12 | $60.74 | 1,760 | 1.04 |
| Delaware | — | — | — | — | — | 770 | 1.59 |
| District of Columbia | $126,490 | 9 | $115,094 | 16 | $60.81 | 2,680 | 3.83 |
| Florida | $115,820 | 16 | $111,996 | 19 | $55.69 | 10,240 | 1.03 |
| Georgia | $104,340 | 23 | $108,357 | 28 | $50.16 | 9,260 | 1.89 |
| Hawaii | $102,130 | 27 | $92,887 | 45 | $49.10 | 300 | 0.48 |
| Idaho | $89,380 | 43 | $93,598 | 44 | $42.97 | 1,350 | 1.58 |
| Illinois | $106,560 | 22 | $106,605 | 30 | $51.23 | 10,520 | 1.72 |
| Indiana | $91,470 | 41 | $98,008 | 40 | $43.98 | 3,580 | 1.12 |
| Iowa | $95,830 | 38 | $109,193 | 24 | $46.07 | 2,300 | 1.48 |
| Kansas | $98,130 | 34 | $108,951 | 26 | $47.18 | 490 | 0.34 |
| Kentucky | $91,760 | 40 | $101,776 | 35 | $44.12 | 1,540 | 0.77 |
| Louisiana | $78,760 | 48 | $89,290 | 47 | $37.86 | 1,300 | 0.67 |
| Maine | $90,880 | 42 | $93,642 | 43 | $43.69 | 1,210 | 1.90 |
| Maryland | $136,370 | 3 | $129,927 | 3 | $65.56 | 3,340 | 1.21 |
| Massachusetts | $131,750 | 5 | $124,578 | 10 | $63.34 | 9,420 | 2.59 |
| Michigan | $100,590 | 29 | $104,545 | 33 | $48.36 | 7,360 | 1.67 |
| Minnesota | $128,800 | 7 | $130,601 | 2 | $61.92 | 4,020 | 1.36 |
| Mississippi | $69,490 | 49 | $79,917 | 49 | $33.41 | 440 | 0.38 |
| Missouri | $97,090 | 35 | $106,907 | 29 | $46.68 | 4,730 | 1.61 |
| Montana | $100,490 | 30 | $106,176 | 32 | $48.31 | 220 | 0.42 |
| Nebraska | $98,230 | 33 | $109,020 | 25 | $47.23 | 1,980 | 1.94 |
| Nevada | $98,540 | 32 | $98,561 | 37 | $47.37 | 1,680 | 1.08 |
| New Hampshire | $100,620 | 28 | $96,597 | 41 | $48.37 | 1,100 | 1.61 |
| New Jersey | $135,280 | 4 | $124,333 | 11 | $65.04 | 6,430 | 1.50 |
| New Mexico | $95,850 | 37 | $103,945 | 34 | $46.08 | 560 | 0.64 |
| New York | $130,460 | 6 | $120,885 | 14 | $62.72 | 23,970 | 2.47 |
| North Carolina | $119,090 | 14 | $126,254 | 6 | $57.25 | 11,430 | 2.31 |
| North Dakota | $81,900 | 47 | $92,065 | 46 | $39.37 | 210 | 0.49 |
| Ohio | $102,630 | 25 | $110,624 | 20 | $49.34 | 6,100 | 1.10 |
| Oklahoma | $86,310 | 44 | $98,255 | 38 | $41.49 | 1,900 | 1.11 |
| Oregon | $125,990 | 12 | $121,893 | 13 | $60.57 | 2,140 | 1.09 |
| Pennsylvania | $106,850 | 20 | $109,509 | 21 | $51.37 | 13,810 | 2.28 |
| Rhode Island | $102,440 | 26 | $100,156 | 36 | $49.25 | 1,160 | 2.31 |
| South Carolina | $91,990 | 39 | $98,124 | 39 | $44.23 | 3,750 | 1.63 |
| South Dakota | $96,150 | 36 | $108,539 | 27 | $46.22 | 220 | 0.49 |
| Tennessee | $100,330 | 31 | $109,209 | 23 | $48.24 | 2,790 | 0.85 |
| Texas | $122,090 | 13 | $125,792 | 8 | $58.70 | 25,860 | 1.84 |
| Utah | $108,090 | 18 | $109,332 | 22 | $51.97 | 4,360 | 2.51 |
| Vermont | $127,070 | 8 | $129,719 | 4 | $61.09 | 200 | 0.65 |
| Virginia | $126,430 | 10 | $125,049 | 9 | $60.79 | 8,920 | 2.17 |
| Washington | $163,350 | 1 | $152,645 | 1 | $78.54 | 9,600 | 2.71 |
| West Virginia | $85,090 | 45 | $95,076 | 42 | $40.91 | 390 | 0.55 |
| Wisconsin | $106,680 | 21 | $113,375 | 18 | $51.29 | 4,370 | 1.49 |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (2 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for data scientists
281 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $185,080 | $167,610 | 6,060 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $170,110 | $147,137 | 10,460 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $167,840 | $177,774 | 230 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $164,740 | $148,237 | 8,370 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $156,830 | $156,706 | 150 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $149,800 | $151,090 | — |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $146,980 | $143,511 | 210 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $141,760 | $132,655 | 570 |
| Corvallis, OR | $140,190 | $134,776 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $135,980 | $120,803 | 23,160 |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 23,160 | $135,980 | $120,803 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 10,460 | $170,110 | $147,137 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10,120 | $127,750 | $123,921 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 9,850 | $129,740 | $114,242 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 9,260 | $132,200 | $121,414 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 8,370 | $164,740 | $148,237 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 7,940 | $107,640 | $103,905 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 7,930 | $132,040 | $121,959 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 6,820 | $108,940 | $108,877 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 6,480 | $109,910 | $107,173 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves data scientist pay: employers and settings
Industry is one of the biggest pay drivers. Computer systems design firms pay a median of $132,380; scientific research and development services $131,420 and banks and other credit intermediaries $130,300. Corporate headquarters, the largest single employer, pay $128,050. Insurance carriers pay less at $107,680. Public-sector work pays much less outside the federal government: local government jobs have a median of $84,630 and state government $89,440; federal roles pay $128,710.
Location matters a lot. Washington leads at a median of $163,350, followed by California at $141,590, and Washington stays first after adjusting for living costs, at $152,645. Mississippi is lowest at $69,490.
Across all data scientists, the 10th percentile earns $67,240, the 25th $85,660, the median $120,230, and the 90th $199,130, a range that reflects employer, location, specialty and level of responsibility, not simply years on the job. A master's or Ph.D., machine learning engineering skills and domain knowledge in areas such as finance or health tend to move people into the higher-paying roles.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 10.9% | $128,050 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 10.5% | $132,380 |
| Insurance Carriers | 5.7% | $107,680 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 5.7% | $112,520 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) | 4.7% | $130,300 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 4.4% | $131,420 |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 250,640 | $122,580 |
| Federal government (incl. Postal Service) | 1,260 | $128,710 |
| State government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 6,560 | $89,440 |
| Local government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 3,990 | $84,630 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
Data Scientist pay over time
Median annual pay, 2021–2025
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
The median rose from $100,910 in 2021 to $120,230 in 2025, up 19% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2021 median is worth $120,504 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay was about flat over the period.
The series starts in 2021 because BLS changed how it defines or publishes this occupation before then, so earlier figures are not comparable.
BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.
What data scientists do
A data scientist uses statistics, programming and machine learning to answer questions with data and to build models that make predictions. A typical project starts with a business problem, such as which customers are likely to cancel, how much inventory a store will need, or which insurance claims look fraudulent. The data scientist pulls the relevant data with SQL, cleans it in Python or R, tests ideas, trains and checks a model, and then explains what it means to people who will act on it.
Data scientists work across the economy: corporate headquarters, tech and IT services firms, insurers, banks, consulting firms and research labs are the largest employers in our data. Most of the work happens at a computer, often in a hybrid or remote setup, with regular meetings with product managers, engineers, analysts and business leaders. In smaller companies one person may handle everything from data pipelines to dashboards; in larger ones the role is more specialized, such as experimentation, forecasting or machine learning.
A typical day
- Write SQL queries to pull data from company databases and warehouses
- Clean messy data: fix missing values, duplicates and mismatched formats
- Explore data with charts and summary statistics to find patterns worth testing
- Build, tune and compare predictive models, checking accuracy on held-out data
- Design and analyze A/B tests for product or marketing changes
- Turn results into charts, dashboards and short write-ups for managers
- Work with engineers to put models into production and monitor how they perform
Also called: data science.
How to become a data scientist
Full guideTo become a data scientist, you earn a bachelor's degree in statistics, math, computer science or a related field, build skills in Python or R, SQL and machine learning, and often add a master's degree or analyst experience. No license is required; most people reach a data scientist role in 4 to 6 years.
- Typical time
- 5-6 years
- Fastest: 4 years
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, data science or a related field
- License
- Not licensed (certification optional)
- Typical training cost
- $45.9K–$84.9K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a data scientist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 5-6 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $45.9K–$84.9K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $120,230
- $69,250 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 38–71%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($69,250 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 1.2 years after training ends (5-6 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for data scientists
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +34.6%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 275,600
- 371,000 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 24,800
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 1.9%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects data scientist jobs to grow 34.6% from 2025 to 2035, from 275,600 to 371,000. That is roughly ten times the 3.5% average for all jobs and works out to about 24,800 openings a year. The drivers are the growing amount of data organizations collect and wider use of AI-based systems, which companies need people to build, test and apply. Growth does not mean easy entry, though: many openings ask for a graduate degree or prior experience, and entry-level candidates face competition from analysts and engineers moving into the field.
Related careers and their pay
- Business Analyst$101,860
- Biomedical Engineer$109,370
- Statisticians$105,650
- Statistical Assistants$50,330
- Financial Specialists, All Other$81,100
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Data Scientist salary FAQ
How much do data scientists make an hour?
The median hourly wage for data scientists was $57.80 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $32.33 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $95.74. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays data scientists the most?
Washington has the highest median pay for data scientists, $163,350 a year, followed by California ($141,590) and Maryland ($136,370). After adjusting for each state's price level, Washington comes out ahead at about $152,645 in national-average dollars.
Do data scientists make $200,000 a year?
Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of data scientists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $120,230, and the top 10% earn more than $199,130. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
What is the difference between a data scientist and a data analyst?
There is overlap, but data analysts mainly describe what has happened, using SQL, spreadsheets and dashboards to report on business performance. Data scientists go further into statistics and programming, building predictive models, running experiments and sometimes machine learning systems. Data scientist roles more often ask for a graduate degree and usually pay more. Many data scientists start as analysts.
Do data scientists need a master's degree?
Not always. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry requirement, usually in math, statistics, computer science, engineering or a related field. A master's or Ph.D. is a requirement or a plus at some employers, especially for research and machine learning roles. A strong portfolio and analyst experience can substitute for a graduate degree at many companies.
Can data scientists work remotely?
Many can, because the work is done on a computer with cloud tools and shared code. Remote and hybrid arrangements are common in tech, consulting and finance, though some employers require office days and roles handling sensitive data, such as in government or defense, may require on-site work. Most data scientists work full time.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 15-2051
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (15-2051.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Data Scientists: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- Professional Machine Learning Engineer certification, Google Cloud · checked October 28, 2026
- Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), INFORMS · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.