What does the top of the Data Scientist pay scale look like in Arizona?

The 90th percentile lands at $165,120. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $134,510.

How many Data Scientists does Arizona employ?

BLS OES counts 4,080 Data Scientists employed in Arizona in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for Arizona different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Arizona's overall index of 100.7 reflects rents 108.6, services 83.3, and goods 97.9.

Is Arizona a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Data Scientists?

No — Arizona's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Arizona?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Arizona.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Industry vs academia data scientist pay in Arizona?

Academia and government research positions in {state} typically pay below the BLS data scientist median — often 20-40% lower at the assistant-professor or junior-research-scientist level. Industry roles (especially tech, finance, consumer internet) pull the BLS aggregate well above academic ranges.

Data Scientist Pay in Arizona: $106K Median + Purchasing Power (2026)

TL;DR

Arizona pays Data Scientists a BLS median of $106,080 — the more useful number is $105,299, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
P25-P75 spread runs $81,170 to $134,510; P10 floor $66,910, P90 ceiling $165,120.
Nominal: #23/51 · Real: #32/51 — ranking shifts by 9 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — Arizona

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$66,910	$66,417
P25 (lower quartile)	$81,170	$80,572
P50 (median)	$106,080	$105,299
P75 (upper quartile)	$134,510	$133,519
P90 (top tier)	$165,120	$163,904
Mean	$112,460	$111,632
Employment	4,080 Data Scientists in Arizona

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Arizona index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	100.7
Goods	97.9
Services	83.3
Rents	108.6

Arizona's overall RPP (100.7) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Arizona (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Data Scientist)	$106,080	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$14,585	13.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$2,258	2.5% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$8,115	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$81,122	76.5% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$80,525	÷ (100.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Arizona state-tax burden means for Data Scientist take-home

Arizona's state tax is light at this income tier (~2.1% effective). The bigger compensation lever is the cost-of-living premium (RPP 100.7), which still erodes real take-home despite the low state tax — net real after-tax $80,525.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $112,590 for Data Scientists with mean pay of $124,590 and total employment of 233,440. Arizona sits at #23 on nominal pay and #32 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Arizona falls 9 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

What does the top of the Data Scientist pay scale look like in Arizona?: The 90th percentile lands at $165,120. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $134,510.
How many Data Scientists does Arizona employ?: BLS OES counts 4,080 Data Scientists employed in Arizona in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for Arizona different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Arizona's overall index of 100.7 reflects rents 108.6, services 83.3, and goods 97.9.
Is Arizona a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Data Scientists?: No — Arizona's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Arizona?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Arizona.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Industry vs academia data scientist pay in Arizona?: Academia and government research positions in {state} typically pay below the BLS data scientist median — often 20-40% lower at the assistant-professor or junior-research-scientist level. Industry roles (especially tech, finance, consumer internet) pull the BLS aggregate well above academic ranges.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 15-2051, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Arizona Data Scientist pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.