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.
National Median
$108,000
Best State (Net)
$112,160
Washington
Take-Home TX
$84,566
No state tax
Job Growth
35%
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
Salary by Experience Level
Entry Level (0–2 yrs)
$78,000
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$63,461
Analyst or junior DS role
Mid Level (3–5 yrs)
$108,000
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$84,566
Independent modeling, owns pipelines
Senior (6–10 yrs)
$140,000
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$106,692
Leads projects, mentors team
Staff / Principal DS
$180,000
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$134,032
Org strategy, cross-team impact
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
Take-home estimates for a single filer with no additional deductions. Click any state for the full breakdown.
| State | Gross Salary | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|
| $148,000 | $112,160 | |
| $160,000 | $106,877 | |
| $145,000 | $101,205 | |
| $138,000 | $99,175 | |
| $132,000 | $93,771 | |
| $128,000 | $93,518 | |
| $130,000 | $93,245 | |
| $120,000 | $93,008 | |
| $125,000 | $91,215 | |
| $122,000 | $89,039 | |
| $112,000 | $87,380 | |
12Arizona | $115,000 | $86,991 |
13Illinois | $118,000 | $86,503 |
14Georgia | $118,000 | $85,946 |
| $115,000 | $84,741 | |
| $108,000 | $84,566 | |
| $108,000 | $84,566 | |
| $112,000 | $84,402 | |
19Delaware | $115,000 | $83,991 |
20Oregon | $118,000 | $81,404 |
| $102,000 | $80,345 | |
22Utah | $108,000 | $80,335 |
| $115,000 | $79,641 | |
24Michigan | $105,000 | $78,631 |
| $98,000 | $77,531 | |
26Ohio | $102,000 | $77,300 |
| $102,000 | $76,865 | |
28Indiana | $98,000 | $74,917 |
29Missouri | $98,000 | $73,423 |
| $98,000 | $73,132 | |
31Hawaii | $102,000 | $72,515 |
32Idaho | $96,000 | $71,426 |
33Alabama | $92,000 | $70,230 |
34Kansas | $92,000 | $69,460 |
35Iowa | $92,000 | $68,921 |
| $90,000 | $68,828 | |
37Nebraska | $92,000 | $68,813 |
| $92,000 | $68,382 | |
39Maine | $92,000 | $67,805 |
40Vermont | $92,000 | $67,458 |
| $88,000 | $67,394 | |
42Kentucky | $88,000 | $67,211 |
43Oklahoma | $88,000 | $67,029 |
| $82,000 | $66,275 | |
| $82,000 | $66,275 | |
46Montana | $88,000 | $66,189 |
47Arkansas | $85,000 | $65,306 |
| $82,000 | $64,600 | |
| $80,000 | $62,268 | |
| $78,000 | $60,626 |
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
$70,230
net
AlaskaNo state tax
$77,531
net
Arizona
$86,991
net
Arkansas
$65,306
net
California
$106,877
net
Colorado
$93,518
net
Connecticut
$89,039
net
Delaware
$83,991
net
FloridaNo state tax
$87,380
net
Georgia
$85,946
net
Hawaii
$72,515
net
Idaho
$71,426
net
Illinois
$86,503
net
Indiana
$74,917
net
Iowa
$68,921
net
Kansas
$69,460
net
Kentucky
$67,211
net
Louisiana
$67,394
net
Maine
$67,805
net
Maryland
$91,215
net
Massachusetts
$99,175
net
Michigan
$78,631
net
Minnesota
$79,641
net
Mississippi
$62,268
net
Missouri
$73,423
net
Montana
$66,189
net
Nebraska
$68,813
net
NevadaNo state tax
$84,566
net
New HampshireNo state tax
$84,566
net
New Jersey
$93,771
net
New Mexico
$68,828
net
New York
$101,205
net
North Carolina
$84,741
net
North Dakota
$64,600
net
Ohio
$77,300
net
Oklahoma
$67,029
net
Oregon
$81,404
net
Pennsylvania
$84,402
net
Rhode Island
$76,865
net
South Carolina
$68,382
net
South DakotaNo state tax
$66,275
net
TennesseeNo state tax
$80,345
net
TexasNo state tax
$93,008
net
Utah
$80,335
net
Vermont
$67,458
net
Virginia
$93,245
net
WashingtonNo state tax
$112,160
net
West Virginia
$60,626
net
Wisconsin
$73,132
net
WyomingNo state tax
$66,275
net