Data Scientists Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for data scientists is $120,230, or $57.80 per hour. About 262,440 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $163,350 in Washington to $69,490 in Mississippi.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 49 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $163,350 | $78.54 | 9,600 | 1.60 |
| 2 | California | $141,590 | $68.07 | 39,310 | 1.28 |
| 3 | Maryland | $136,370 | $65.56 | 3,340 | 0.72 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $135,280 | $65.04 | 6,430 | 0.89 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $131,750 | $63.34 | 9,420 | 1.53 |
| 6 | New York | $130,460 | $62.72 | 23,970 | 1.47 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $128,800 | $61.92 | 4,020 | 0.81 |
| 8 | Vermont | $127,070 | $61.09 | 200 | 0.38 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $126,490 | $60.81 | 2,680 | 2.27 |
| 10 | Virginia | $126,430 | $60.79 | 8,920 | 1.29 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $126,340 | $60.74 | 1,760 | 0.61 |
| 12 | Oregon | $125,990 | $60.57 | 2,140 | 0.65 |
| 13 | Texas | $122,090 | $58.70 | 25,860 | 1.09 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $119,090 | $57.25 | 11,430 | 1.37 |
| 15 | Colorado | $117,400 | $56.44 | 6,280 | 1.29 |
| 16 | Florida | $115,820 | $55.69 | 10,240 | 0.61 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $109,390 | $52.59 | 530 | 0.24 |
| 18 | Utah | $108,090 | $51.97 | 4,360 | 1.49 |
| 19 | Arizona | $107,240 | $51.56 | 4,560 | 0.83 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $106,850 | $51.37 | 13,810 | 1.35 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $106,680 | $51.29 | 4,370 | 0.88 |
| 22 | Illinois | $106,560 | $51.23 | 10,520 | 1.02 |
| 23 | Georgia | $104,340 | $50.16 | 9,260 | 1.12 |
| 24 | Alabama | $103,120 | $49.58 | 1,740 | 0.49 |
| 25 | Ohio | $102,630 | $49.34 | 6,100 | 0.65 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $102,440 | $49.25 | 1,160 | 1.37 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $102,130 | $49.10 | 300 | 0.29 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $100,620 | $48.37 | 1,100 | 0.95 |
| 29 | Michigan | $100,590 | $48.36 | 7,360 | 0.99 |
| 30 | Montana | $100,490 | $48.31 | 220 | 0.25 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $100,330 | $48.24 | 2,790 | 0.50 |
| 32 | Nevada | $98,540 | $47.37 | 1,680 | 0.64 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $98,230 | $47.23 | 1,980 | 1.15 |
| 34 | Kansas | $98,130 | $47.18 | 490 | 0.20 |
| 35 | Missouri | $97,090 | $46.68 | 4,730 | 0.95 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $96,150 | $46.22 | 220 | 0.29 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $95,850 | $46.08 | 560 | 0.38 |
| 38 | Iowa | $95,830 | $46.07 | 2,300 | 0.87 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $91,990 | $44.23 | 3,750 | 0.96 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $91,760 | $44.12 | 1,540 | 0.46 |
| 41 | Indiana | $91,470 | $43.98 | 3,580 | 0.66 |
| 42 | Maine | $90,880 | $43.69 | 1,210 | 1.12 |
| 43 | Idaho | $89,380 | $42.97 | 1,350 | 0.94 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $86,310 | $41.49 | 1,900 | 0.66 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $85,090 | $40.91 | 390 | 0.33 |
| 46 | Alaska | $84,110 | $40.44 | 230 | 0.43 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $81,900 | $39.37 | 210 | 0.29 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $78,760 | $37.86 | 1,300 | 0.40 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $69,490 | $33.41 | 440 | 0.23 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do data scientists make?
The median annual wage for data scientists in the United States is $120,230, or $57.80 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $67,240, and the top 10% earn $199,130.
How many data scientists are employed in the U.S.?
About 262,440 people work as data scientists nationwide.
Which state pays data scientists the most?
Washington pays the most at a median of $163,350, followed by California ($141,590) and Maryland ($136,370).
Which state pays data scientists the least?
Mississippi has the lowest median at $69,490.
Where are data scientists jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is District of Columbia at 2.27×.