occupation · 15-2051 · detailed
Data Scientists — wages and employment
Data Scientists earned a median annual wage of $112,590 in the United States in May 2024, with 233,440 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Data Scientists earned a median annual wage of $112,590 in the United States in May 2024, with 233,440 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $63,650 or less, the best-paid tenth $194,410 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $108,020 to $112,590, +4.2 %. The best-paying state is Washington at $158,760; the lowest Mississippi at $69,430. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $173,160. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 233,440 | $112,590 | $124,590 | $63,650 | $82,630 | $155,810 | $194,410 | $54.13 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 192,710 | $108,020 | $119,040 | $61,070 | $79,810 | $147,670 | $184,090 | $51.93 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $158,760 | 7,930 |
| District of Columbia | $137,120 | 3,580 |
| California | $136,800 | 36,850 |
| Massachusetts | $132,250 | 9,990 |
| New Jersey | $130,370 | 5,860 |
| Virginia | $126,070 | 6,200 |
| New York | $125,400 | 20,070 |
| Maryland | $124,340 | 3,400 |
| Hawaii | $123,880 | 240 |
| Vermont | $120,670 | 210 |
| Minnesota | $117,840 | 3,500 |
| Utah | $116,420 | 4,830 |
| North Carolina | $115,380 | 10,140 |
| Rhode Island | $114,390 | 1,190 |
| Illinois | $113,490 | 7,390 |
| Kansas | $110,320 | 340 |
| Connecticut | $109,960 | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $109,340 | 980 |
| Montana | $106,860 | 200 |
| Texas | $106,540 | 23,420 |
| Colorado | $106,500 | 6,750 |
| Oregon | $106,100 | 2,650 |
| Arizona | $106,080 | 4,080 |
| Florida | $105,820 | 9,480 |
| Alabama | $105,410 | 1,620 |
| Tennessee | $104,700 | 2,550 |
| Arkansas | $104,320 | 470 |
| Georgia | $102,630 | 7,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $100,320 | 10,430 |
| Wisconsin | $100,020 | 3,640 |
| Michigan | $99,470 | 6,450 |
| New Hampshire | $98,970 | 870 |
| Ohio | $98,620 | 5,510 |
| Iowa | $97,980 | 2,330 |
| Nebraska | $96,470 | 1,850 |
| North Dakota | $96,230 | 320 |
| Wyoming | $95,840 | — |
| West Virginia | $95,760 | 220 |
| Maine | $94,350 | 1,040 |
| Kentucky | $93,490 | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $93,310 | 1,230 |
| South Dakota | $92,000 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $90,660 | 2,810 |
| Missouri | $85,570 | 4,350 |
| New Mexico | $85,040 | 510 |
| Indiana | $84,050 | 3,120 |
| Oklahoma | $80,380 | 2,160 |
| Alaska | $77,400 | 210 |
| Puerto Rico | $70,690 | 120 |
| Louisiana | $70,530 | 1,120 |
| Mississippi | $69,430 | 270 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $173,160 | 6,570 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $166,300 | 9,350 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $164,030 | 220 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $157,290 | 6,100 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $145,030 | 50 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $139,660 | 370 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $135,190 | 8,530 |
| Bellingham, WA | $134,530 | 40 |
| Bloomington, IL | $133,340 | 390 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $131,830 | 8,220 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $131,110 | 3,870 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $130,710 | 19,810 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $130,590 | 370 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $129,360 | 480 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $127,770 | 1,490 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $127,200 | 2,550 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $125,250 | 60 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $125,010 | 50 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $124,440 | 50 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $124,270 | 10,030 |
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