Data Scientist · Pennsylvania · SOC 15-2051
Data Scientists in Pennsylvania: 2026 Salary, Real Wage, and Cost-Adjusted Pay
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Pennsylvania pays Data Scientists a BLS median of $100,320 — the more useful number is $102,998, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
- Bottom quartile $76,220, top quartile $129,590. The P90 ($165,360) is roughly 2.7× the P10 ($61,190).
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- Data Scientist ranking: #29 on the BLS table, #37 once cost of living is in.
Wage breakdown — Pennsylvania
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $61,190 | $62,823 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $76,220 | $78,255 |
| P50 (median) | $100,320 | $102,998 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $129,590 | $133,049 |
| P90 (top tier) | $165,360 | $169,774 |
| Mean | $107,450 | $110,318 |
| Employment | 10,430 Data Scientists in Pennsylvania | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Pennsylvania index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 97.4 |
| Goods | 98.4 |
| Services | 118.3 |
| Rents | 85.8 |
Pennsylvania's overall RPP (97.4) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Pennsylvania (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) | $100,320 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$13,317 | 13.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$3,080 | 3.07% flat (+ local 0.5-3.9% Philly/Pgh) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,674 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $76,248 | 76.0% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $78,284 | ÷ (97.4 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Pennsylvania state-tax burden means for Data Scientist take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.1% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $76,248 (76.0% of gross). After the 97.4 RPP, real take-home is $78,284. Local-tax overlay: Philadelphia residents pay 3.75% city wage tax; Pittsburgh ~3% combined city + school. Subtract roughly $3,511/year if PHL-based.
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. Pennsylvania sits at #29 on nominal pay and #37 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Pennsylvania falls 8 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Data Scientist salary in Pennsylvania?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 97.4 for Pennsylvania), the real-wage equivalent is $102,998 — what the $100,320 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $78,255 to $133,049.
- What does the top of the Data Scientist pay scale look like in Pennsylvania?
- The 90th percentile lands at $165,360. 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 $129,590.
- How many Data Scientists does Pennsylvania employ?
- BLS OES counts 10,430 Data Scientists employed in Pennsylvania in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- How wide is the wage spread in Pennsylvania?
- P10 to P90 spans $61,190 to $165,360. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Is Pennsylvania a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Data Scientists?
- No — Pennsylvania's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- 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 Pennsylvania?
- 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.
Cross-comparison: see how Pennsylvania 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.