Data Scientist · Iowa · SOC 15-2051
Data Scientist Salary in Iowa (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- BLS reports Iowa Data Scientist median pay at $97,980. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $110,376.
- On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #22 of 51; nominal rank is #34.
- Low BEA RPP (88.8) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $12,396.
- Wage envelope: $55,290 (P10) to $140,620 (P90), with quartiles at $68,910 and $126,310.
Wage breakdown — Iowa
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $55,290 | $62,285 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $68,910 | $77,628 |
| P50 (median) | $97,980 | $110,376 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $126,310 | $142,291 |
| P90 (top tier) | $140,620 | $158,411 |
| Mean | $97,300 | $109,610 |
| Employment | 2,330 Data Scientists in Iowa | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Iowa index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 88.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 |
| Services | 87.3 |
| Rents | 66.0 |
Iowa sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.8), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 66.0.
After-tax take-home — Iowa (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) | $97,980 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$12,803 | 13.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$3,125 | 3.8% flat (2026, SF 2417 fully phased) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,495 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $74,557 | 76.1% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $83,990 | ÷ (88.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Iowa state-tax burden means for Data Scientist take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.2% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $74,557 (76.1% of gross). After the 88.8 RPP, real take-home is $83,990.
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. Iowa sits at #34 on nominal pay and #22 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Iowa climbs 12 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How are Iowa Data Scientist salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- How many Data Scientists does Iowa employ?
- BLS OES counts 2,330 Data Scientists employed in Iowa 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 Iowa rank for Data Scientist pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, Iowa 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 Iowa?
- P10 to P90 spans $55,290 to $140,620. 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 Iowa?
- 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 Iowa.
- Does a PhD increase data scientist salary in Iowa?
- 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 Iowa, concentrated in research-heavy industries (pharma, quant finance, AI labs) and largely absent in product analytics roles.
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.
Cross-comparison: see how Iowa 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.