Data Scientist Salary by U.S. City (2026)

Data Scientist salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles, plus cost-of-living-adjusted real pay. Compare metros.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026

Cities tracked
50
National average
$119,040

How Data Scientist pay varies by city

Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Data Scientist pay ranges from about $79,870 in New Orleans, LA to $171,800 in San Jose, CA (median wage). But the highest nominal pay isn’t the best deal once local prices are factored in: adjusted for cost of living, Wichita, KS delivers the strongest real buying power (about $504,809 in national-average dollars). The U.S. national average for this role is about $119,040.

The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.

CityMedian10th %ile90th %ileCost of living
(US = 100)		Real pay
(COL-adjusted)
San Jose, CA$171,800$98,810—110.4$163,408
Oakland, CA$163,430$83,130$218,560115.6$137,476
San Francisco, CA$163,430$83,130$218,560115.6$137,476
Boston, MA$145,640$87,782$186,140108.3$134,521
Seattle, WA$135,610$76,940$233,960111.1$136,161
Washington, DC$135,080$74,840$209,410108.9$127,732
New York, NY$133,560$75,460$215,130112.6$125,672
Charlotte, NC$133,220$71,960$179,06097.3$133,798
San Diego, CA$127,300$69,430$197,630111.9$116,770
Raleigh, NC$126,950$66,550$195,56098.2$130,903
Portland, OR$126,450$65,990$184,090105.4$121,352
Baltimore, MD$126,430$75,260$168,950104.5$120,982
Long Beach, CA$124,810$62,820$193,140113.6$109,593
Los Angeles, CA$124,810$62,820$193,140113.6$109,593
Fort Worth, TX$118,509$76,548$147,881103.1$114,957
Minneapolis, MN$114,560$69,960$166,100104.8$113,869
Colorado Springs, CO$112,820$61,240$174,700100.7$114,699
Austin, TX$111,760$58,990$175,68098.1$121,123
Denver, CO$111,750$67,680$164,790105.8$110,558
Mesa, AZ$109,500$68,310$174,280103.3$111,851
Phoenix, AZ$109,500$68,310$174,280103.3$111,851
Arlington, TX$108,870$59,530$169,300——
Dallas, TX$108,870$59,530$169,300103.1$112,833
Chicago, IL$108,580$62,320$174,260103.6$112,525
Philadelphia, PA$106,760$62,250$173,790102.6$110,839
San Antonio, TX$106,250$49,940$175,74094.7$117,192
Milwaukee, WI$105,610$66,940$157,09096.9$110,422
Atlanta, GA$104,640$63,440$168,030100.1$112,875
Jacksonville, FL$101,190$56,410$163,76099.5$110,239
Memphis, TN$101,120$35,520$148,44092.2$104,937
Houston, TX$97,490$49,170$166,32098.6$105,486
Nashville, TN$97,290$44,990$153,70096.3$103,687
Detroit, MI$96,970$59,970$138,570100.3$99,773
Tucson, AZ$95,960$58,850$137,24096.9$102,656
Omaha, NE$95,550$66,190$129,66091.9$107,223
Columbus, OH$94,390$50,810$157,59095.5$104,715
Miami, FL$93,540$55,170$165,890114.2$92,077
Wichita, KS$93,030$68,330$123,14018.3$504,809
Sacramento, CA$93,020$68,180$165,900106.7$99,644
Cleveland, OH$92,990$56,810$145,640——
Oklahoma City, OK$88,170$56,120$150,23090.4$106,019
Louisville, KY$86,810$54,560$158,74093.1$104,691
Las Vegas, NV$86,390$55,270$140,200100.2$96,193
Fresno, CA$86,130$58,130$160,500102.2$97,281
Kansas City, MO$84,450$52,440$137,26092.5$100,429
Tulsa, OK$84,450$47,460$151,77089.2$104,333
Albuquerque, NM$82,360$52,280$125,13095.5$90,689
El Paso, TX$82,140$37,770$135,84089.9$95,872
Indianapolis, IN$81,510$53,640$126,99095.7$94,027
New Orleans, LA$79,870$65,290$124,06026.3$333,536

“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.

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