State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Data Scientist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Data Scientists is $120,230 a year ($57.80/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 33.5% through 2034, with about 23,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 15-2051Computer and MathematicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $120,230
- Projected growth
- +33.5%
- Openings a year
- 23,400
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
How much do Data Scientists make?
10th percentile$67,240
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$85,660
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$120,230
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$158,880
Upper quartile
90th percentile$199,130
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $120,230 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $57.80/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $126,800 |
| People employed | 262,440 |
Versus all US occupations
At $120,230, Data Scientists earn 136% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $69,250 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $199,130 or more while the bottom 10% earn $67,240, a gap of 3.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 88% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $163,350, and still leads at $152,645 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Data Scientists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $163,350 | $152,645 | 9,600 |
| California | $141,590 | $127,881 | 39,310 |
| Maryland | $136,370 | $129,927 | 3,340 |
| New Jersey | $135,280 | $124,333 | 6,430 |
| Massachusetts | $131,750 | $124,578 | 9,420 |
| New York | $130,460 | $120,885 | 23,970 |
| Minnesota | $128,800 | $130,601 | 4,020 |
| Vermont | $127,070 | $129,719 | 200 |
| District of Columbia | $126,490 | $115,094 | 2,680 |
| Virginia | $126,430 | $125,049 | 8,920 |
Is Data Scientist a growing career?
Data Scientists33.5%
All US occupations3.1%
+33.5% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Data Scientists to change 33.5% over 2024–2034, roughly 10.8× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 82,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 23,400 openings are projected each year, 9.5% of the 245,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment growth for data scientists is expected to stem from an increased demand for data-driven decisions. The volume of data available and the potential uses for that data will increase over the projections decade. As a result, organizations will likely need more data scientists to mine and analyze the large amounts of information and data collected. Data scientists’ analysis will help organizations to make informed decisions and improve their business processes, to design and develop new products, and to better market their products.
How to become a Data Scientist
Data scientists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or a related field to enter the occupation. However, some employers require or prefer that candidates have a master’s or doctoral degree.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What does a Data Scientist do?
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.
Data scientists use analytical tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software.
- Apply feature selection algorithms to models predicting outcomes of interest, such as sales, attrition, and healthcare use.
- Apply sampling techniques to determine groups to be surveyed or use complete enumeration methods.
- Clean and manipulate raw data using statistical software.
- Compare models using statistical performance metrics, such as loss functions or proportion of explained variance.
- Create graphs, charts, or other visualizations to convey the results of data analysis using specialized software.
- Deliver oral or written presentations of the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
- Design surveys, opinion polls, or other instruments to collect data.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where data scientists work
| Computer systems design and related services | 11% |
|---|---|
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 10% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 10% |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 6% |
| Scientific research and development services | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise system management software · in demand
- File versioning software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Data Scientist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.2
Investigativeprimary7.0
Artistic2.6
Social1.7
Enterprising1.7
Conventionalprimary5.4
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Data Scientist: frequently asked questions
How much do Data Scientists make?
Data Scientists earn a median of $120,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 136% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $57.80/hr. The middle half earn between $85,660 and $158,880. The top 10% earn $199,130 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Data Scientist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Data Scientists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Data Scientist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 33.5% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 23,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Data Scientist do?
Data scientists use analytical tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data. A core O*NET task: analyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Data Scientists the most?
The highest state medians for Data Scientists are Washington ($163,350), California ($141,590), Maryland ($136,370) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Data Scientist?
O*NET scores Data Scientists highest on the Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with INTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.