How many Data Scientists does District of Columbia employ?

BLS OES counts 3,580 Data Scientists employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does District of Columbia rank for Data Scientist pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, District of Columbia ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

How wide is the wage spread in District of Columbia?

P10 to P90 spans $82,210 to $208,600. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

What are the limits of these Data Scientist salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?

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 District of Columbia.

Does a PhD increase data scientist salary in District of Columbia?

BLS does not segment by degree. Industry surveys (Burtch Works, Glassdoor) show a PhD premium of roughly 10-25% versus a master's-only data scientist in District of Columbia, concentrated in research-heavy industries (pharma, quant finance, AI labs) and largely absent in product analytics roles.

Industry vs academia data scientist pay in District of Columbia?

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.

District of Columbia Data Scientist Salary: BLS $137K Median, Real $124K (2026)

TL;DR

Median Data Scientist salary in District of Columbia: $137,120 nominal, $123,852 real (BEA RPP basis).
State ranks #2 nationally on nominal wage, #4 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
High cost of living compresses the real wage by $13,268 below the nominal — most of which goes to rent and services.
Wage envelope: $82,210 (P10) to $208,600 (P90), with quartiles at $102,440 and $208,600.

Wage breakdown — District of Columbia

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$82,210	$74,255
P25 (lower quartile)	$102,440	$92,528
P50 (median)	$137,120	$123,852
P75 (upper quartile)	$208,600	$188,415
P90 (top tier)	$208,600	$188,415
Mean	$148,170	$133,833
Employment	3,580 Data Scientists in District of Columbia

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	District of Columbia index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	110.7
Goods	106.5
Services	109.0
Rents	168.1

District of Columbia is a high-cost state — RPP 110.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (168.1) and services (109.0).

After-tax take-home — District of Columbia (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)	$137,120	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$21,727	15.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$8,814	4–10.75% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$10,490	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$96,089	70.1% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$86,791	÷ (110.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the District of Columbia state-tax burden means for Data Scientist take-home

District of Columbia carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (6.4% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 29.9%, leaving $96,089 pre-RPP and $86,791 after the 110.7 cost-of-living index — a $50,329 gap from the headline gross.

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. District of Columbia sits at #2 on nominal pay and #4 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, District of Columbia falls 2 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How many Data Scientists does District of Columbia employ?: BLS OES counts 3,580 Data Scientists employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does District of Columbia rank for Data Scientist pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, District of Columbia ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
How wide is the wage spread in District of Columbia?: P10 to P90 spans $82,210 to $208,600. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
What are the limits of these Data Scientist salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?: 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 District of Columbia.
Does a PhD increase data scientist salary in District of Columbia?: BLS does not segment by degree. Industry surveys (Burtch Works, Glassdoor) show a PhD premium of roughly 10-25% versus a master's-only data scientist in District of Columbia, concentrated in research-heavy industries (pharma, quant finance, AI labs) and largely absent in product analytics roles.
Industry vs academia data scientist pay in District of Columbia?: 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 District of Columbia 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.