Data scientist pay by city
Across the 50 largest US metros, typical data scientist pay ranges from $91,240 in Oklahoma City, OK to $185,080 in San Jose, CA. After taxes and local prices, it goes furthest in San Jose, CA, Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (occupation: Data Scientists, SOC 15-2051).
| Rank | Metro | Typical pay | Worth after taxes and prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $185,080 | $113,100 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $164,740 | $111,500 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $170,110 | $100,300 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $127,360 | $100,200 |
| 5 | Charlotte, NC | $132,460 | $99,700 |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | $127,750 | $95,600 |
| 7 | Jacksonville, FL | $122,680 | $95,600 |
| 8 | Raleigh, NC | $120,710 | $91,100 |
| 9 | Richmond, VA | $122,510 | $90,700 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $126,340 | $89,800 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $134,320 | $88,700 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $129,780 | $88,400 |
| 13 | Boston, MA | $132,040 | $87,800 |
| 14 | Memphis, TN | $102,220 | $87,600 |
| 15 | Miami, FL | $127,450 | $86,100 |
| 16 | San Antonio, TX | $103,290 | $86,100 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $132,200 | $85,700 |
| 18 | Tampa, FL | $109,990 | $85,400 |
| 19 | Houston, TX | $106,750 | $85,100 |
| 20 | Portland, OR | $129,600 | $84,500 |
| 21 | Nashville, TN | $103,020 | $84,400 |
| 22 | Phoenix, AZ | $114,540 | $84,000 |
| 23 | Salt Lake City, UT | $114,990 | $83,800 |
| 24 | Columbus, OH | $107,950 | $83,700 |
| 25 | San Diego, CA | $130,990 | $83,000 |
| 26 | Orlando, FL | $106,590 | $82,700 |
| 27 | New York, NY | $135,980 | $82,100 |
| 28 | Los Angeles, CA | $129,740 | $81,100 |
| 29 | Cincinnati, OH | $102,650 | $80,900 |
| 30 | Cleveland, OH | $101,860 | $80,900 |
| 31 | Milwaukee, WI | $104,710 | $80,800 |
| 32 | Atlanta, GA | $108,940 | $80,400 |
| 33 | Kansas City, MO | $99,870 | $80,400 |
| 34 | Denver, CO | $112,520 | $79,100 |
| 35 | Buffalo, NY | $102,250 | $79,100 |
| 36 | Louisville, KY | $99,980 | $79,000 |
| 37 | Las Vegas, NV | $98,930 | $78,300 |
| 38 | St. Louis, MO | $99,600 | $78,000 |
| 39 | Riverside, CA | $112,910 | $77,100 |
| 40 | Indianapolis, IN | $99,110 | $77,000 |
| 41 | Oklahoma City, OK | $91,240 | $76,800 |
| 42 | Philadelphia, PA | $109,910 | $76,700 |
| 43 | Chicago, IL | $107,640 | $76,600 |
| 44 | Providence, RI | $102,440 | $76,300 |
| 45 | Birmingham, AL | $94,240 | $76,100 |
| 46 | Virginia Beach, VA | $100,300 | $76,000 |
| 47 | Grand Rapids, MI | $96,880 | $75,000 |
| 48 | Pittsburgh, PA | $96,670 | $74,900 |
| 49 | Detroit, MI | $103,330 | $74,700 |
| 50 | Sacramento, CA | $103,700 | $71,600 |
“Worth” is take-home pay at the typical salary (single filer, 2026 income taxes), divided by local prices, so every city is in the same typical-US-city dollars.
Common questions
Which city pays data scientists the most?
Before taxes, San Jose, CA has the highest typical data scientist pay among the 50 largest US metros: $185,080 a year. The lowest is Oklahoma City, OK at $91,240. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Where does data scientist pay go furthest after cost of living?
After federal, state, and local income taxes and local prices, typical data scientist pay goes furthest in San Jose, CA, Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA. It goes the least far in Sacramento, CA, where it's worth about $71,600 in typical-US-city dollars.