National salary
What Is the Average Data Scientist Salary?
The BLS reports a $120,230 national median for data scientists in May 2025. The mean is $126,800, but the median is the more useful midpoint because it is less sensitive to a smaller number of very high wages.
BLS estimates 262,440 jobs in this occupation. The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is $67,240 to $199,130, a difference of $131,890. Employer, setting, specialty, location, and responsibility all sit inside that national range.
Percentiles describe where wages fall across the occupation. They do not assign a wage to a specific experience level.
What moves the number
What Affects a Data Scientist Salary?
Model and Systems Depth
Statistical analysis, machine learning, data engineering, experimentation, and production systems require different strengths.
Domain Knowledge
Scientific and engineering employers may value someone who understands both the data method and the physical system that created the data.
Employer Industry
Technology services, insurance, management, consulting, and research organizations use different pay structures and problem types.
Graduate Education and Responsibility
Advanced research roles may prefer graduate study, while experienced data scientists may own models, systems, or team decisions.
State comparison
Data Scientist Salary by State
The table lists the 10 states with the highest median salary beside each employment estimate, and the picker adds any other state. The job count matters: a high figure based on a small occupational market describes a different opportunity than a similar figure supported by thousands of jobs.
The largest state employment estimates for data scientists are California (39,310 jobs), Texas (25,860 jobs), and New York (23,970 jobs). Read those market sizes against the national estimate of 262,440 jobs before treating a state wage as a relocation signal.
| Rank | State | Median | 10th–90th percentile | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $163,350 | $79,930–$220,040 | 9,600 |
| 2 | California | $141,590 | $77,480–$224,920 | 39,310 |
| 3 | Maryland | $136,370 | $77,930–$213,270 | 3,340 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $135,280 | $80,720–$203,950 | 6,430 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $131,750 | $81,030–$206,220 | 9,420 |
| 6 | New York | $130,460 | $73,330–$214,080 | 23,970 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $128,800 | $65,730–$179,640 | 4,020 |
| 8 | Vermont | $127,070 | $76,570–$160,430 | 200 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $126,490 | $89,750–$209,730 | 2,680 |
| 10 | Virginia | $126,430 | $76,420–$207,890 | 8,920 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $126,340 | $75,700–$204,680 | 1,760 |
| 12 | Oregon | $125,990 | $78,110–$206,550 | 2,140 |
| 13 | Texas | $122,090 | $64,540–$170,780 | 25,860 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $119,090 | $65,970–$172,830 | 11,430 |
| 15 | Colorado | $117,400 | $74,470–$189,630 | 6,280 |
| 16 | Florida | $115,820 | $63,080–$174,140 | 10,240 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $109,390 | $67,090–$169,110 | 530 |
| 18 | Utah | $108,090 | $60,680–$167,890 | 4,360 |
| 19 | Arizona | $107,240 | $65,200–$161,730 | 4,560 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $106,850 | $63,340–$162,290 | 13,810 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $106,680 | $76,300–$168,810 | 4,370 |
| 22 | Illinois | $106,560 | $68,810–$168,880 | 10,520 |
| 23 | Georgia | $104,340 | $67,750–$170,010 | 9,260 |
| 24 | Alabama | $103,120 | $59,130–$161,590 | 1,740 |
| 25 | Ohio | $102,630 | $61,710–$160,650 | 6,100 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $102,440 | $75,310–$158,820 | 1,160 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $102,130 | $77,270–$172,870 | 300 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $100,620 | $73,480–$155,020 | 1,100 |
| 29 | Michigan | $100,590 | $60,830–$162,670 | 7,360 |
| 30 | Montana | $100,490 | $67,120–$167,150 | 220 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $100,330 | $60,200–$156,160 | 2,790 |
| 32 | Nevada | $98,540 | $57,150–$164,110 | 1,680 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $98,230 | $66,230–$133,140 | 1,980 |
| 34 | Kansas | $98,130 | $60,520–$154,990 | 490 |
| 35 | Missouri | $97,090 | $58,960–$151,380 | 4,730 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $96,150 | $67,510–$145,510 | 220 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $95,850 | $49,990–$133,660 | 560 |
| 38 | Iowa | $95,830 | $56,070–$146,700 | 2,300 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $91,990 | $61,600–$156,000 | 3,750 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $91,760 | $61,990–$156,480 | 1,540 |
| 41 | Indiana | $91,470 | $58,750–$141,250 | 3,580 |
| 42 | Maine | $90,880 | $60,280–$138,530 | 1,210 |
| 43 | Idaho | $89,380 | $63,980–$169,010 | 1,350 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $86,310 | $58,690–$145,580 | 1,900 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $85,090 | $57,500–$125,100 | 390 |
| 46 | Alaska | $84,110 | $51,550–$138,400 | 230 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $81,900 | $59,030–$126,710 | 210 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $78,760 | $53,050–$128,210 | 1,300 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $69,490 | $43,940–$125,990 | 440 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment counts are estimates and may be rounded.
Degree context
How Education Connects to Data Scientist Pay
A quantitative space science or engineering degree can transfer when it includes statistics, programming, algorithms, and a strong applied data portfolio.
A large astronomy dataset does not automatically make someone a data scientist. Employers still need evidence that you can frame a problem, manage messy data, validate a model, write maintainable code, and explain the limits of the result.
The wage percentiles do not separate workers by degree or experience. Use the education requirement to decide whether the route is open to you, then use the state and national wage distributions to understand the market rather than treating one percentile as a personal forecast.
Career guide See how to become a data scientist Adjacent route · Bachelor's degreeWhere to study
Schools That Lead Here
Common questions
Data Scientist Salary FAQ
What Is the Median Data Scientist Salary?
What Is the National Data Scientist Salary Range?
How Many Data Scientists Does BLS Count?
Does the 10Th-Percentile Data Scientist Salary Mean Entry Level?
What Education Do Data Scientists Need?
Primary sources
Sources for Data Scientist Salary Data
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 for the national distribution, state wages, and employment estimates.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data Scientists for education, duties, and work-setting context.
Wage records and occupation facts updated October 9, 2026.