Data Scientist Salary by State
How much data scientists earn in each state. SOC code 15-2051 (Data Scientists). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$120,230Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$126,800Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$57.80Mean $60.96/hour
- U.S. employment262,440Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateWashington$158,040 mean
- States with data49 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do data scientists make?
Nationally, data scientists earn a median of $120,230 a year and a mean of $126,800 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $85,660 (25th percentile) and $158,880 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $67,240 and the top 10% more than $199,130.
That median is 2.4× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $158,040 in Washington (highest) to $79,290 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, Washington comes out on top at $152,664 in national-average dollars.
BLS did not publish wage estimates for this occupation in: Delaware, Wyoming.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $67,240 | $5,603 | $32.33 |
| 25th | $85,660 | $7,138 | $41.18 |
| Median | $120,230 | $10,019 | $57.80 |
| 75th | $158,880 | $13,240 | $76.38 |
| 90th | $199,130 | $16,594 | $95.74 |
| Mean | $126,800 | $10,567 | $60.96 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Data Scientist salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $158,040 | $163,350 | $78.54 | $79,930 | $220,040 | $152,664 | 9,600 |
| California | $156,000 | $141,590 | $68.07 | $77,480 | $224,920 | $127,904 | 39,310 |
| Maryland | $144,080 | $136,370 | $65.56 | $77,930 | $213,270 | $129,876 | 3,340 |
| District of Columbia | $142,580 | $126,490 | $60.81 | $89,750 | $209,730 | $115,096 | 2,680 |
| New Jersey | $138,590 | $135,280 | $65.04 | $80,720 | $203,950 | $124,338 | 6,430 |
| New York | $137,690 | $130,460 | $62.72 | $73,330 | $214,080 | $120,908 | 23,970 |
| Massachusetts | $136,460 | $131,750 | $63.34 | $81,030 | $206,220 | $124,527 | 9,420 |
| Virginia | $134,590 | $126,430 | $60.79 | $76,420 | $207,890 | $125,054 | 8,920 |
| Oregon | $131,300 | $125,990 | $60.57 | $78,110 | $206,550 | $121,847 | 2,140 |
| Connecticut | $129,850 | $126,340 | $60.74 | $75,700 | $204,680 | $121,950 | 1,760 |
| Colorado | $126,800 | $117,400 | $56.44 | $74,470 | $189,630 | $113,870 | 6,280 |
| Minnesota | $126,290 | $128,800 | $61.92 | $65,730 | $179,640 | $130,629 | 4,020 |
| Vermont | $123,640 | $127,070 | $61.09 | $76,570 | $160,430 | $129,663 | 200 |
| North Carolina | $121,270 | $119,090 | $57.25 | $65,970 | $172,830 | $126,288 | 11,430 |
| Texas | $119,710 | $122,090 | $58.70 | $64,540 | $170,780 | $125,736 | 25,860 |
| Florida | $119,150 | $115,820 | $55.69 | $63,080 | $174,140 | $112,012 | 10,240 |
| Hawaii | $118,940 | $102,130 | $49.10 | $77,270 | $172,870 | $92,845 | 300 |
| Illinois | $117,870 | $106,560 | $51.23 | $68,810 | $168,880 | $106,560 | 10,520 |
| Wisconsin | $116,600 | $106,680 | $51.29 | $76,300 | $168,810 | $113,369 | 4,370 |
| Arkansas | $116,320 | $109,390 | $52.59 | $67,090 | $169,110 | $125,880 | 530 |
| Georgia | $115,940 | $104,340 | $50.16 | $67,750 | $170,010 | $108,349 | 9,260 |
| Utah | $114,880 | $108,090 | $51.97 | $60,680 | $167,890 | $109,292 | 4,360 |
| Arizona | $111,950 | $107,240 | $51.56 | $65,200 | $161,730 | $106,495 | 4,560 |
| Rhode Island | $111,260 | $102,440 | $49.25 | $75,310 | $158,820 | $100,137 | 1,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,810 | $106,850 | $51.37 | $63,340 | $162,290 | $109,477 | 13,810 |
| Idaho | $110,220 | $89,380 | $42.97 | $63,980 | $169,010 | $93,592 | 1,350 |
| New Hampshire | $109,880 | $100,620 | $48.37 | $73,480 | $155,020 | $96,564 | 1,100 |
| Nevada | $108,340 | $98,540 | $47.37 | $57,150 | $164,110 | $98,540 | 1,680 |
| Montana | $108,170 | $100,490 | $48.31 | $67,120 | $167,150 | $106,226 | 220 |
| Ohio | $107,160 | $102,630 | $49.34 | $61,710 | $160,650 | $110,593 | 6,100 |
| Michigan | $105,890 | $100,590 | $48.36 | $60,830 | $162,670 | $104,563 | 7,360 |
| Tennessee | $105,200 | $100,330 | $48.24 | $60,200 | $156,160 | $109,173 | 2,790 |
| Alabama | $105,180 | $103,120 | $49.58 | $59,130 | $161,590 | $116,126 | 1,740 |
| Kansas | $105,080 | $98,130 | $47.18 | $60,520 | $154,990 | $108,912 | 490 |
| South Carolina | $102,830 | $91,990 | $44.23 | $61,600 | $156,000 | $98,175 | 3,750 |
| South Dakota | $102,450 | $96,150 | $46.22 | $67,510 | $145,510 | $108,521 | 220 |
| Missouri | $100,880 | $97,090 | $46.68 | $58,960 | $151,380 | $106,927 | 4,730 |
| Kentucky | $100,840 | $91,760 | $44.12 | $61,990 | $156,480 | $101,729 | 1,540 |
| Nebraska | $98,980 | $98,230 | $47.23 | $66,230 | $133,140 | $109,023 | 1,980 |
| Indiana | $98,340 | $91,470 | $43.98 | $58,750 | $141,250 | $98,039 | 3,580 |
| Iowa | $98,100 | $95,830 | $46.07 | $56,070 | $146,700 | $109,146 | 2,300 |
| Maine | $97,500 | $90,880 | $43.69 | $60,280 | $138,530 | $93,691 | 1,210 |
| Oklahoma | $94,950 | $86,310 | $41.49 | $58,690 | $145,580 | $98,303 | 1,900 |
| New Mexico | $94,160 | $95,850 | $46.08 | $49,990 | $133,660 | $103,959 | 560 |
| West Virginia | $90,730 | $85,090 | $40.91 | $57,500 | $125,100 | $95,073 | 390 |
| Alaska | $89,810 | $84,110 | $40.44 | $51,550 | $138,400 | $82,139 | 230 |
| Louisiana | $88,480 | $78,760 | $37.86 | $53,050 | $128,210 | $89,297 | 1,300 |
| North Dakota | $87,570 | $81,900 | $39.37 | $59,030 | $126,710 | $92,022 | 210 |
| Mississippi | $79,290 | $69,490 | $33.41 | $43,940 | $125,990 | $79,874 | 440 |
| Delaware | — | — | — | — | — | — | 770 |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Highest median pay
- Washington — $163,350
- California — $141,590
- Maryland — $136,370
- New Jersey — $135,280
- Massachusetts — $131,750
Lowest median pay
- Mississippi — $69,490
- Louisiana — $78,760
- North Dakota — $81,900
- Alaska — $84,110
- West Virginia — $85,090
Best pay after cost of living
- Washington — $152,664
- Minnesota — $130,629
- Maryland — $129,876
- Vermont — $129,663
- California — $127,904
The most data scientists work in California (39,310 jobs), Texas and New York.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a data scientist make?
The national median wage for data scientists is $120,230 a year and the mean is $126,800, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays data scientists the most?
Washington has the highest mean wage for data scientists at $158,040.
Which state pays data scientists the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for data scientists among states with published data, at $79,290.
Where do data scientists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, Washington ranks first at $152,664 in national-average dollars, followed by Minnesota and Maryland.