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)
$112,424
Washington
Take-Home TX
$84,808
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):
$63,703
Analyst or junior DS role
Mid Level (3–5 yrs)
$108,000
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$84,808
Independent modeling, owns pipelines
Senior (6–10 yrs)
$140,000
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$106,956
Leads projects, mentors team
Staff / Principal DS
$180,000
gross/year
Est. take-home (TX):
$134,296
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 | $112,424 | |
| $160,000 | $107,911 | |
| $145,000 | $102,416 | |
| $138,000 | $98,909 | |
| $132,000 | $94,715 | |
| $128,000 | $93,830 | |
| $130,000 | $93,407 | |
| $120,000 | $93,250 | |
| $125,000 | $88,302 | |
| $122,000 | $88,233 | |
| $112,000 | $87,622 | |
12Arizona | $115,000 | $87,260 |
13Georgia | $118,000 | $86,703 |
14Illinois | $118,000 | $86,147 |
| $115,000 | $85,653 | |
| $108,000 | $84,808 | |
| $108,000 | $84,808 | |
| $112,000 | $84,184 | |
19Delaware | $115,000 | $83,484 |
| $115,000 | $83,436 | |
21Oregon | $118,000 | $82,856 |
| $102,000 | $80,587 | |
23Utah | $108,000 | $80,002 |
24Michigan | $105,000 | $78,486 |
25Ohio | $102,000 | $78,217 |
| $98,000 | $77,773 | |
| $102,000 | $76,244 | |
28Indiana | $98,000 | $74,912 |
29Missouri | $98,000 | $74,194 |
30Hawaii | $102,000 | $73,888 |
| $98,000 | $73,427 | |
32Idaho | $96,000 | $72,386 |
33Iowa | $92,000 | $70,668 |
34Nebraska | $92,000 | $70,070 |
| $92,000 | $69,767 | |
36Alabama | $92,000 | $69,763 |
37Vermont | $92,000 | $69,590 |
38Kansas | $92,000 | $69,218 |
| $90,000 | $69,066 | |
40Maine | $92,000 | $68,588 |
| $88,000 | $68,473 | |
42Kentucky | $88,000 | $67,776 |
43Oklahoma | $88,000 | $67,324 |
44Montana | $88,000 | $67,127 |
| $82,000 | $66,517 | |
| $82,000 | $66,517 | |
| $82,000 | $66,199 | |
48Arkansas | $85,000 | $65,941 |
| $80,000 | $62,002 | |
| $78,000 | $61,020 |
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
$69,763
net
AlaskaNo state tax
$77,773
net
Arizona
$87,260
net
Arkansas
$65,941
net
California
$107,911
net
Colorado
$93,830
net
Connecticut
$88,233
net
Delaware
$83,484
net
FloridaNo state tax
$87,622
net
Georgia
$86,703
net
Hawaii
$73,888
net
Idaho
$72,386
net
Illinois
$86,147
net
Indiana
$74,912
net
Iowa
$70,668
net
Kansas
$69,218
net
Kentucky
$67,776
net
Louisiana
$68,473
net
Maine
$68,588
net
Maryland
$88,302
net
Massachusetts
$98,909
net
Michigan
$78,486
net
Minnesota
$83,436
net
Mississippi
$62,002
net
Missouri
$74,194
net
Montana
$67,127
net
Nebraska
$70,070
net
NevadaNo state tax
$84,808
net
New HampshireNo state tax
$84,808
net
New Jersey
$94,715
net
New Mexico
$69,066
net
New York
$102,416
net
North Carolina
$85,653
net
North Dakota
$66,199
net
Ohio
$78,217
net
Oklahoma
$67,324
net
Oregon
$82,856
net
Pennsylvania
$84,184
net
Rhode Island
$76,244
net
South Carolina
$69,767
net
South DakotaNo state tax
$66,517
net
TennesseeNo state tax
$80,587
net
TexasNo state tax
$93,250
net
Utah
$80,002
net
Vermont
$69,590
net
Virginia
$93,407
net
WashingtonNo state tax
$112,424
net
West Virginia
$61,020
net
Wisconsin
$73,427
net
WyomingNo state tax
$66,517
net