Technology
Data Scientists Salary and Cost of Living Guide
Data scientists analyze complex datasets and build models that support decisions. This guide links each state page to the salary needed for basic costs, a 20% comfort target, and related cost-of-living pages.
SOC code
15-2051
State pages
49
Wage source
BLS OEWS
Salary needed by state
Sorted by highest comfort salary target.
| State | Basic costs | 20% comfort target | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $72,342 | $86,810 | View page |
| District of Columbia | $70,853 | $85,024 | View page |
| Massachusetts | $64,576 | $77,491 | View page |
| New Jersey | $59,331 | $71,197 | View page |
| Vermont | $58,550 | $70,260 | View page |
| California | $58,396 | $70,075 | View page |
| Connecticut | $56,751 | $68,101 | View page |
| Alaska | $56,721 | $68,065 | View page |
| Maryland | $55,685 | $66,822 | View page |
| Rhode Island | $54,254 | $65,105 | View page |
| Oregon | $52,446 | $62,935 | View page |
| Montana | $51,262 | $61,514 | View page |
| Utah | $50,951 | $61,141 | View page |
| New York | $50,878 | $61,054 | View page |
| Colorado | $50,571 | $60,685 | View page |
| Arizona | $50,343 | $60,412 | View page |
| Nevada | $50,183 | $60,220 | View page |
| Maine | $49,745 | $59,694 | View page |
| Florida | $49,359 | $59,231 | View page |
| Virginia | $48,616 | $58,339 | View page |
| New Hampshire | $48,593 | $58,312 | View page |
| West Virginia | $47,113 | $56,536 | View page |
| North Carolina | $46,829 | $56,195 | View page |
| Washington | $46,773 | $56,128 | View page |
| Idaho | $46,711 | $56,053 | View page |
| Illinois | $46,460 | $55,752 | View page |
| New Mexico | $46,328 | $55,594 | View page |
| Mississippi | $46,279 | $55,535 | View page |
| North Dakota | $45,536 | $54,643 | View page |
| Nebraska | $45,478 | $54,574 | View page |
| Georgia | $45,425 | $54,510 | View page |
| Wisconsin | $45,266 | $54,319 | View page |
| Oklahoma | $44,870 | $53,844 | View page |
| South Carolina | $44,771 | $53,725 | View page |
| Minnesota | $44,541 | $53,449 | View page |
| Kansas | $44,525 | $53,430 | View page |
| Louisiana | $44,055 | $52,866 | View page |
| Michigan | $44,032 | $52,838 | View page |
| South Dakota | $43,997 | $52,796 | View page |
| Texas | $43,937 | $52,724 | View page |
| Pennsylvania | $43,843 | $52,612 | View page |
| Missouri | $43,629 | $52,355 | View page |
| Iowa | $43,186 | $51,823 | View page |
| Tennessee | $43,152 | $51,782 | View page |
| Alabama | $42,820 | $51,384 | View page |
| Kentucky | $42,589 | $51,107 | View page |
| Arkansas | $42,496 | $50,995 | View page |
| Indiana | $42,456 | $50,947 | View page |
| Ohio | $42,165 | $50,598 | View page |
Related salary guides
Sources
Occupation definitions and wage fields follow Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025, last modified 2026-05-15). Cost targets use WatchPennies cost of living estimates.