Technology · 69 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Data Scientist (2025)

The median Data Scientist salary is $185,080 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Charlotte, NC offers the best purchasing power at $136,980 adjusted.

The 69 cities below are ranked by median wage for Data Scientist, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Data Scientist relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$111,767

National Median

$185,080

Highest City

$83,650

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$185,080	$109,740, $282,840	195.8	$94,525	6,060
2	San Francisco, CA	$170,110	$99,170, $272,430	179.6	$94,716	10,460
3	Seattle, WA	$164,740	$81,130, $230,980	149.4	$110,268	8,370
4	Bridgeport, CT	$141,760	$94,240, $218,000	137.5	$103,098	570
5	New York, NY	$135,980	$79,870, $216,030	187.2	$72,639	23,160
6	Baltimore, MD	$134,320	$76,820, $227,250	114.2	$117,618	1,090
7	Charlotte, NC	$132,460	$70,790, $171,200	96.7	$136,980	4,420
8	Washington, DC	$132,200	$85,250, $212,320	152.8	$86,518	9,260
9	Boston, MA	$132,040	$82,030, $206,220	152.1	$86,811	7,930
10	San Diego, CA	$130,990	$74,110, $201,190	160.2	$81,767	2,830
11	Minneapolis, MN	$129,780	$71,990, $195,530	106.2	$122,203	3,250
12	Los Angeles, CA	$129,740	$71,080, $208,280	166	$78,157	9,850
13	Portland, OR	$129,600	$78,110, $208,110	130.1	$99,616	1,700
14	Dallas, TX	$127,750	$65,190, $173,340	104.1	$122,719	10,120
15	Colorado Springs, CO	$127,600	$75,300, $195,270	104.5	$122,105	580
16	Miami, FL	$127,450	$62,590, $199,130	123.1	$103,534	3,040
17	Austin, TX	$127,360	$74,640, $186,010	103	$123,650	3,730
18	Hartford, CT	$126,340	$85,970, $197,110	112.6	$112,202	560
19	Jacksonville, FL	$122,680	$62,710, $165,370	95.1	$129,001	880
20	Richmond, VA	$122,510	$68,510, $208,170	102.1	$119,990	1,050
21	Raleigh, NC	$120,710	$72,190, $180,850	99.8	$120,952	1,990
22	Spokane, WA	$117,250	$68,770, $175,160	97.4	$120,380	160
23	Salt Lake City, UT	$114,990	$62,050, $159,820	101.4	$113,402	2,970
24	Phoenix, AZ	$114,540	$68,880, $165,520	100.7	$113,744	3,480
25	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$112,910	$66,690, $209,100	122.4	$92,247	1,000
26	Denver, CO	$112,520	$74,830, $178,700	112.8	$99,752	4,510
27	Tampa, FL	$109,990	$67,530, $161,480	99.6	$110,432	1,730
28	Philadelphia, PA	$109,910	$67,950, $181,560	118.4	$92,829	6,480
29	Atlanta, GA	$108,940	$72,430, $172,130	99.2	$109,819	6,820
30	Columbus, OH	$107,950	$63,530, $169,380	93.1	$115,951	1,480
31	Chicago, IL	$107,640	$70,740, $168,880	107.3	$100,317	7,940
32	Houston, TX	$106,750	$62,980, $167,230	96.5	$110,622	4,060
33	Orlando, FL	$106,590	$60,490, $165,990	103.1	$103,385	1,440
34	Greensboro, NC	$106,060	$66,350, $157,730	91.3	$116,166	370
35	Milwaukee, WI	$104,710	$78,790, $163,180	97.4	$107,505	1,080
36	Sacramento, CA	$103,700	$77,430, $160,740	124.7	$83,160	2,710
37	Little Rock, AR	$103,510	$67,490, $129,400	88.2	$117,358	130
38	Detroit, MI	$103,330	$62,400, $168,510	95.1	$108,654	3,810
39	San Antonio, TX	$103,290	$59,790, $165,250	91.5	$112,885	1,730
40	Des Moines, IA	$103,030	$65,480, $150,190	93.3	$110,429	1,240
41	Nashville, TN	$103,020	$63,570, $165,660	100.3	$102,712	1,360
42	Cincinnati, OH	$102,650	$64,420, $161,490	91.2	$112,555	1,680
43	Providence, RI	$102,440	$72,170, $160,660	119.4	$85,796	1,170
44	Buffalo, NY	$102,250	$55,940, $158,960	92.5	$110,541	840
45	Memphis, TN	$102,220	$63,120, $160,170	84	$121,690	410
46	Fresno, CA	$101,250	$53,470, $166,830	105.5	$95,972	220
47	Omaha, NE	$100,830	$70,720, $135,870	91.8	$109,837	1,200
48	Louisville, KY	$99,980	$64,100, $164,110	90.2	$110,843	650
49	Kansas City, MO	$99,870	$61,820, $149,060	95.4	$104,686	1,260
50	St. Louis, MO	$99,600	$59,500, $158,310	90	$110,667	2,640
51	Indianapolis, IN	$99,110	$61,800, $149,280	90.1	$110,000	1,880
52	Albany, NY	$98,940	$64,450, $160,460	100.7	$98,252	830
53	Las Vegas, NV	$98,930	$58,440, $158,710	109	$90,761	1,180
54	Albuquerque, NM	$98,750	$58,260, $132,750	94	$105,053	360
55	Anchorage, AK	$98,630	$57,180, $177,690	127	$77,661	120
56	New Orleans, LA	$98,390	$59,560, $130,530	95.9	$102,596	200
57	Boise, ID	$97,950	$62,260, $168,360	102.1	$95,935	600
58	Reno, NV	$97,940	$55,220, $195,670	106.5	$91,962	330
59	Pittsburgh, PA	$96,670	$60,580, $157,600	92.3	$104,735	2,270
60	Wichita, KS	$94,680	$67,840, $153,540	84	$112,714	70
61	Birmingham, AL	$94,240	$58,690, $154,660	90.4	$104,248	490
62	Rochester, NY	$92,800	$49,070, $155,200	92.9	$99,892	1,190
63	Knoxville, TN	$92,640	$61,980, $149,090	90.3	$102,591	320
64	Bakersfield, CA	$92,200	$65,840, $158,350	100.6	$91,650	200
65	Greenville, SC	$91,490	$61,110, $138,280	90.1	$101,543	660
66	Oklahoma City, OK	$91,240	$58,910, $150,050	86.5	$105,480	820
67	Tulsa, OK	$86,310	$56,510, $144,980	86.8	$99,435	600
68	Lexington, KY	$84,460	$61,890, $139,370	91.3	$92,508	230
69	Tucson, AZ	$83,650	$62,830, $134,280	95.4	$87,683	360

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Data Scientist paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Charlotte, NC	$136,980	$132,460	96.7
2	Jacksonville, FL	$129,001	$122,680	95.1
3	Austin, TX	$123,650	$127,360	103
4	Dallas, TX	$122,719	$127,750	104.1
5	Minneapolis, MN	$122,203	$129,780	106.2
6	Colorado Springs, CO	$122,105	$127,600	104.5
7	Memphis, TN	$121,690	$102,220	84
8	Raleigh, NC	$120,952	$120,710	99.8
9	Spokane, WA	$120,380	$117,250	97.4
10	Richmond, VA	$119,990	$122,510	102.1
11	Baltimore, MD	$117,618	$134,320	114.2
12	Little Rock, AR	$117,358	$103,510	88.2
13	Greensboro, NC	$116,166	$106,060	91.3
14	Columbus, OH	$115,951	$107,950	93.1
15	Phoenix, AZ	$113,744	$114,540	100.7
16	Salt Lake City, UT	$113,402	$114,990	101.4
17	San Antonio, TX	$112,885	$103,290	91.5
18	Wichita, KS	$112,714	$94,680	84
19	Cincinnati, OH	$112,555	$102,650	91.2
20	Hartford, CT	$112,202	$126,340	112.6
21	Louisville, KY	$110,843	$99,980	90.2
22	St. Louis, MO	$110,667	$99,600	90
23	Houston, TX	$110,622	$106,750	96.5
24	Buffalo, NY	$110,541	$102,250	92.5
25	Tampa, FL	$110,432	$109,990	99.6
26	Des Moines, IA	$110,429	$103,030	93.3
27	Seattle, WA	$110,268	$164,740	149.4
28	Indianapolis, IN	$110,000	$99,110	90.1
29	Omaha, NE	$109,837	$100,830	91.8
30	Atlanta, GA	$109,819	$108,940	99.2
31	Detroit, MI	$108,654	$103,330	95.1
32	Milwaukee, WI	$107,505	$104,710	97.4
33	Oklahoma City, OK	$105,480	$91,240	86.5
34	Albuquerque, NM	$105,053	$98,750	94
35	Pittsburgh, PA	$104,735	$96,670	92.3
36	Kansas City, MO	$104,686	$99,870	95.4
37	Birmingham, AL	$104,248	$94,240	90.4
38	Miami, FL	$103,534	$127,450	123.1
39	Orlando, FL	$103,385	$106,590	103.1
40	Bridgeport, CT	$103,098	$141,760	137.5
41	Nashville, TN	$102,712	$103,020	100.3
42	New Orleans, LA	$102,596	$98,390	95.9
43	Knoxville, TN	$102,591	$92,640	90.3
44	Greenville, SC	$101,543	$91,490	90.1
45	Chicago, IL	$100,317	$107,640	107.3
46	Rochester, NY	$99,892	$92,800	92.9
47	Denver, CO	$99,752	$112,520	112.8
48	Portland, OR	$99,616	$129,600	130.1
49	Tulsa, OK	$99,435	$86,310	86.8
50	Albany, NY	$98,252	$98,940	100.7
51	Fresno, CA	$95,972	$101,250	105.5
52	Boise, ID	$95,935	$97,950	102.1
53	San Francisco, CA	$94,716	$170,110	179.6
54	San Jose, CA	$94,525	$185,080	195.8
55	Philadelphia, PA	$92,829	$109,910	118.4
56	Lexington, KY	$92,508	$84,460	91.3
57	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$92,247	$112,910	122.4
58	Reno, NV	$91,962	$97,940	106.5
59	Bakersfield, CA	$91,650	$92,200	100.6
60	Las Vegas, NV	$90,761	$98,930	109
61	Tucson, AZ	$87,683	$83,650	95.4
62	Boston, MA	$86,811	$132,040	152.1
63	Washington, DC	$86,518	$132,200	152.8
64	Providence, RI	$85,796	$102,440	119.4
65	Sacramento, CA	$83,160	$103,700	124.7
66	San Diego, CA	$81,767	$130,990	160.2
67	Los Angeles, CA	$78,157	$129,740	166
68	Anchorage, AK	$77,661	$98,630	127
69	New York, NY	$72,639	$135,980	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Data Scientist salary at $185,080. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Charlotte, NC offers the most purchasing power at $136,980 adjusted.

The national median Data Scientist salary is $111,767 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $83,650 to $185,080 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.