How are South Carolina 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 South Carolina employ?

BLS OES counts 2,810 Data Scientists employed in South Carolina 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 South Carolina?

P10 to P90 spans $57,030 to $150,520. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

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

Yes — the BEA RPP of 93.5 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $90,660 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $96,986. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Data Scientists comparing offers across regions.

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 South Carolina?

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 South Carolina.

Industry vs academia data scientist pay in South Carolina?

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.

South Carolina Data Scientist Salary: BLS $91K Median, Real $97K (2026)

TL;DR

South Carolina pays Data Scientists a BLS median of $90,660 — the more useful number is $96,986, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $57,030 · P25 $73,050 · P75 $108,610 · P90 $150,520.
Low BEA RPP (93.5) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $6,326.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #40 of 51; nominal rank is #43.

Wage breakdown — South Carolina

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$57,030	$61,010
P25 (lower quartile)	$73,050	$78,148
P50 (median)	$90,660	$96,986
P75 (upper quartile)	$108,610	$116,189
P90 (top tier)	$150,520	$161,024
Mean	$96,970	$103,737
Employment	2,810 Data Scientists in South Carolina

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	South Carolina index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	93.5
Goods	95.9
Services	85.8
Rents	80.5

South Carolina sits below the national baseline (RPP 93.5), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 80.5.

After-tax take-home — South Carolina (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)	$90,660	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$11,192	12.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$4,057	0–6.2% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,935	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$68,475	75.5% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$73,253	÷ (93.5 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.5% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $68,475 (75.5% of gross). After the 93.5 RPP, real take-home is $73,253.

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. South Carolina sits at #43 on nominal pay and #40 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, South Carolina climbs 3 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How are South Carolina 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 South Carolina employ?: BLS OES counts 2,810 Data Scientists employed in South Carolina 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 South Carolina?: P10 to P90 spans $57,030 to $150,520. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is South Carolina a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Data Scientists?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 93.5 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $90,660 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $96,986. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Data Scientists comparing offers across regions.
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 South Carolina?: 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 South Carolina.
Industry vs academia data scientist pay in South Carolina?: 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 South Carolina 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.