Data Scientist Salary 2026 — Take-Home Pay by State
Data scientists analyze large datasets to extract insights, build predictive models, and guide business decisions. They combine statistics, programming, and domain expertise across every industry.
US Average
$126,800
BLS, May 2025
Best State (Net)
$119,286
Washington
Take-Home TX
$93,046
on $119,710 · No state tax
Job Growth
35%
Source: BLS, May 2025 · Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051)
Key Facts — Data Scientist 2026
BLS projects 35% job growth 2022–2032 — one of the fastest growing roles
National median: ~$108,000/year (BLS May 2023 OES)
NLP/LLM engineers command 30–35% premium in 2026
Top metros: San Francisco $165K, Seattle $155K, New York $150K
Python, SQL, and cloud ML platforms are the core skill stack
US Pay Range
Pay percentiles for Data Scientists across the US (BLS, May 2025), with the estimated take-home in Texas.
Bottom 10%
$67,240
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$56,133
25th percentile
$85,660
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$69,092
Median
$120,230
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$93,412
75th percentile
$158,880
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$119,860
Top 10%
$199,130
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$148,278
Specialties & Salary Premiums
| Specialty | Est. Salary | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning / AI | $140,400 | +30% |
| NLP / LLM Engineering | $145,800 | +35% |
| Data Engineering | $124,200 | +15% |
| Business Intelligence | $97,200 | -10% |
| Research Scientist | $129,600 | +20% |
| Data Analyst | $81,000 | -25% |
Best States for Data Scientists — Real Take-Home Pay
Ranked by estimated take-home pay (single filer, no additional deductions). The highest gross salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
▲Top 5 — Highest Take-Home
Data Scientist Salary by State — All 50 States
BLS average pay in each state (BLS, May 2025) and the estimated take-home for a single filer with no additional deductions. BLS publishes no figure for 2 states: they show the US average, marked "US figure", at the end of the table. Click any state for the full breakdown.
| State | Average Pay (BLS) | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|
| $158,040 | $119,286 | |
| $156,000 | $105,601 | |
| $144,080 | $99,865 | |
| $138,590 | $98,772 | |
| $136,460 | $97,933 | |
| $137,690 | $97,509 | |
| $134,590 | $96,333 | |
| $129,850 | $93,102 | |
| $126,800 | $93,063 | |
| $119,710 | $93,046 | |
| $119,150 | $92,652 | |
12Oregon | $131,300 | $90,553 |
| $126,290 | $90,505 | |
14Vermont | $123,640 | $90,138 |
| $121,270 | $89,813 | |
16Arkansas | $116,320 | $86,558 |
| $109,880 | $86,131 | |
18Illinois | $117,870 | $86,062 |
| $116,600 | $85,445 | |
20Georgia | $115,940 | $85,357 |
21Arizona | $111,950 | $85,191 |
| $108,340 | $85,047 | |
23Hawaii | $118,940 | $84,879 |
24Utah | $114,880 | $84,536 |
| $110,810 | $83,383 | |
| $105,200 | $82,838 | |
| $111,260 | $82,318 | |
28Ohio | $107,160 | $81,705 |
29Idaho | $110,220 | $81,636 |
| $102,450 | $80,904 | |
31Montana | $108,170 | $80,177 |
32Michigan | $105,890 | $79,074 |
33Alabama | $105,180 | $78,521 |
34Kansas | $105,080 | $77,690 |
| $102,830 | $76,779 | |
36Kentucky | $100,840 | $76,359 |
37Missouri | $100,880 | $76,026 |
38Indiana | $98,340 | $75,141 |
39Nebraska | $98,980 | $74,838 |
40Iowa | $98,100 | $74,767 |
41Maine | $97,500 | $72,471 |
| $89,810 | $72,011 | |
43Oklahoma | $94,950 | $71,900 |
| $94,160 | $71,789 | |
| $87,570 | $70,009 | |
| $90,730 | $69,392 | |
| $88,480 | $68,796 | |
| $79,290 | $62,171 | |
| $126,800US figure | $97,934 | |
50Delaware | $126,800US figure | $90,906 |
Maximize Your Take-Home
401(k) — $24,500 max
Reduces taxable income dollar-for-dollar
HSA — $4,400 single
Triple tax advantage — deductible, grows tax-free, tax-free withdrawals
FSA — $3,300 max
Medical expenses with pre-tax dollars
State consideration
Moving to TX, FL, WA can save $5,000–$15,000/year in taxes
Calculate Your Exact Take-Home as a Data Scientist
Add 401(k), HSA, dependents, and more to see your personalized take-home in your state.
Open Calculator →Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about your taxes and our calculator.
Data Scientist Salary by State — Detailed Pages
Alabama
$78,521
net
AlaskaNo state tax
$72,011
net
Arizona
$85,191
net
Arkansas
$86,558
net
California
$105,601
net
Colorado
$93,063
net
Connecticut
$93,102
net
Delaware
$90,906
net
FloridaNo state tax
$92,652
net
Georgia
$85,357
net
Hawaii
$84,879
net
Idaho
$81,636
net
Illinois
$86,062
net
Indiana
$75,141
net
Iowa
$74,767
net
Kansas
$77,690
net
Kentucky
$76,359
net
Louisiana
$68,796
net
Maine
$72,471
net
Maryland
$99,865
net
Massachusetts
$97,933
net
Michigan
$79,074
net
Minnesota
$90,505
net
Mississippi
$62,171
net
Missouri
$76,026
net
Montana
$80,177
net
Nebraska
$74,838
net
NevadaNo state tax
$85,047
net
New HampshireNo state tax
$86,131
net
New Jersey
$98,772
net
New Mexico
$71,789
net
New York
$97,509
net
North Carolina
$89,813
net
North Dakota
$70,009
net
Ohio
$81,705
net
Oklahoma
$71,900
net
Oregon
$90,553
net
Pennsylvania
$83,383
net
Rhode Island
$82,318
net
South Carolina
$76,779
net
South DakotaNo state tax
$80,904
net
TennesseeNo state tax
$82,838
net
TexasNo state tax
$93,046
net
Utah
$84,536
net
Vermont
$90,138
net
Virginia
$96,333
net
WashingtonNo state tax
$119,286
net
West Virginia
$69,392
net
Wisconsin
$85,445
net
WyomingNo state tax
$97,934
net