Data Scientists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for data scientistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $126,800 ≈ $61/hr
National median salary $120,230
Total employment 262,440 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +33.5%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 23,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 245,900 → 328,300 (+82,500)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$158,040
- California$156,000
- Maryland$144,080
- District of Columbia$142,580
- New Jersey$138,590
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$79,290
- North Dakota$87,570
- Louisiana$88,480
- Alaska$89,810
- West Virginia$90,730
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $158,040 | $163,350 | $76 | +24.6% | 9,600 |
| 2 | California | $156,000 | $141,590 | $75 | +23% | 39,310 |
| 3 | Maryland | $144,080 | $136,370 | $69 | +13.6% | 3,340 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $142,580 | $126,490 | $69 | +12.4% | 2,680 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $138,590 | $135,280 | $67 | +9.3% | 6,430 |
| 6 | New York | $137,690 | $130,460 | $66 | +8.6% | 23,970 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $136,460 | $131,750 | $66 | +7.6% | 9,420 |
| 8 | Virginia | $134,590 | $126,430 | $65 | +6.1% | 8,920 |
| 9 | Oregon | $131,300 | $125,990 | $63 | +3.5% | 2,140 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $129,850 | $126,340 | $62 | +2.4% | 1,760 |
| 11 | Colorado | $126,800 | $117,400 | $61 | +0% | 6,280 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $126,290 | $128,800 | $61 | -0.4% | 4,020 |
| 13 | Vermont | $123,640 | $127,070 | $59 | -2.5% | 200 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $121,270 | $119,090 | $58 | -4.4% | 11,430 |
| 15 | Texas | $119,710 | $122,090 | $58 | -5.6% | 25,860 |
| 16 | Florida | $119,150 | $115,820 | $57 | -6% | 10,240 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $118,940 | $102,130 | $57 | -6.2% | 300 |
| 18 | Illinois | $117,870 | $106,560 | $57 | -7% | 10,520 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $116,600 | $106,680 | $56 | -8% | 4,370 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $116,320 | $109,390 | $56 | -8.3% | 530 |
| 21 | Georgia | $115,940 | $104,340 | $56 | -8.6% | 9,260 |
| 22 | Utah | $114,880 | $108,090 | $55 | -9.4% | 4,360 |
| 23 | Arizona | $111,950 | $107,240 | $54 | -11.7% | 4,560 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $111,260 | $102,440 | $53 | -12.3% | 1,160 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $110,810 | $106,850 | $53 | -12.6% | 13,810 |
| 26 | Idaho | $110,220 | $89,380 | $53 | -13.1% | 1,350 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $109,880 | $100,620 | $53 | -13.3% | 1,100 |
| 28 | Nevada | $108,340 | $98,540 | $52 | -14.6% | 1,680 |
| 29 | Montana | $108,170 | $100,490 | $52 | -14.7% | 220 |
| 30 | Ohio | $107,160 | $102,630 | $52 | -15.5% | 6,100 |
| 31 | Michigan | $105,890 | $100,590 | $51 | -16.5% | 7,360 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $105,200 | $100,330 | $51 | -17% | 2,790 |
| 33 | Alabama | $105,180 | $103,120 | $51 | -17.1% | 1,740 |
| 34 | Kansas | $105,080 | $98,130 | $51 | -17.1% | 490 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $102,830 | $91,990 | $49 | -18.9% | 3,750 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $102,450 | $96,150 | $49 | -19.2% | 220 |
| 37 | Missouri | $100,880 | $97,090 | $49 | -20.4% | 4,730 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $100,840 | $91,760 | $48 | -20.5% | 1,540 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $98,980 | $98,230 | $48 | -21.9% | 1,980 |
| 40 | Indiana | $98,340 | $91,470 | $47 | -22.4% | 3,580 |
| 41 | Iowa | $98,100 | $95,830 | $47 | -22.6% | 2,300 |
| 42 | Maine | $97,500 | $90,880 | $47 | -23.1% | 1,210 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $94,950 | $86,310 | $46 | -25.1% | 1,900 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $94,160 | $95,850 | $45 | -25.7% | 560 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $90,730 | $85,090 | $44 | -28.4% | 390 |
| 46 | Alaska | $89,810 | $84,110 | $43 | -29.2% | 230 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $88,480 | $78,760 | $43 | -30.2% | 1,300 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $87,570 | $81,900 | $42 | -30.9% | 210 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $79,290 | $69,490 | $38 | -37.5% | 440 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 372 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $185,080 | $212,760 | 6,060 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $170,110 | $174,830 | 10,460 |
| 3 | Idaho Falls, ID | $167,840 | $159,110 | 230 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $164,740 | $160,460 | 8,370 |
| 5 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $156,830 | $157,380 | 150 |
| 6 | Charlottesville, VA | $149,800 | $138,320 | — |
| 7 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $146,980 | $132,380 | 210 |
| 8 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $141,760 | $150,700 | 570 |
| 9 | Corvallis, OR | $140,190 | $141,900 | 60 |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $135,980 | $144,700 | 23,160 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing data scientistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nonscheduled Air Transportation | $184,600 | $144,100 | 70 |
| 2 | Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation | $171,590 | $172,220 | 2,060 |
| 3 | Taxi and Limousine Service | $171,590 | $174,660 | 2,000 |
| 4 | Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, & Other Media Networks & Content Providers | $169,080 | $177,450 | 3,660 |
| 5 | Broadcasting and Content Providers | $168,140 | $176,290 | 3,750 |
| 6 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $164,670 | $158,990 | 2,420 |
| 7 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $164,670 | $158,990 | 2,420 |
| 8 | Software Publishers | $156,220 | $154,430 | 10,950 |
| 9 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | $150,330 | $154,130 | 640 |
| 10 | Publishing Industries | $148,610 | $151,860 | 12,230 |
| 11 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $142,040 | $148,780 | 1,700 |
| 12 | Sector 51 - Information | $141,440 | $149,360 | 32,410 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do data scientists make in the U.S.?
The median data scientists salary in the United States is $120,230 per year (mean $126,800), and about 80% earn between $67,240 and $199,130.
How much do data scientists make per hour?
Roughly $61 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $126,800 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays data scientists the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for data scientists at $158,040 per year (median $163,350).
What is the job outlook for data scientists?
Employment is projected to change +33.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 23,400 openings per year.
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