How much does a Data Scientist make in Utah?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $116,420 for Data Scientists in Utah as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $78,840 and the 75th-percentile is $170,000.

How many Data Scientists does Utah employ?

BLS OES counts 4,830 Data Scientists employed in Utah 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 Utah 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. Utah's overall index of 95.7 reflects rents 106.2, services 73.0, and goods 94.7.

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

No — Utah'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 Utah?

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 Utah.

Data scientist vs data analyst pay in Utah — what's the gap?

BLS reports them under different SOC codes (15-2051 for data scientists, 13-1161 for market/data analysts). In Utah, the data scientist median typically runs 30-60% above the data analyst median, reflecting heavier ML/statistics requirements, deeper SQL/Python depth expectations, and stronger industry placement in tech and finance.

Industry vs academia data scientist pay in Utah?

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 Salary in Utah (2026): $116K Median, BEA RPP-Adjusted

TL;DR

Utah pays Data Scientists a BLS median of $116,420 — the more useful number is $121,631, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #9 of 51; nominal rank is #12.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
P25-P75 spread runs $78,840 to $170,000; P10 floor $57,720, P90 ceiling $173,370.

Wage breakdown — Utah

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$57,720	$60,303
P25 (lower quartile)	$78,840	$82,369
P50 (median)	$116,420	$121,631
P75 (upper quartile)	$170,000	$177,609
P90 (top tier)	$173,370	$181,130
Mean	$119,640	$124,995
Employment	4,830 Data Scientists in Utah

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Utah index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	95.7
Goods	94.7
Services	73.0
Rents	106.2

Utah's overall RPP (95.7) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Utah (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)	$116,420	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$16,859	14.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$4,530	4.5% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$8,906	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$86,124	74.0% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$89,979	÷ (95.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.9% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $86,124 (74.0% of gross). After the 95.7 RPP, real take-home is $89,979.

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. Utah sits at #12 on nominal pay and #9 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Utah climbs 3 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Data Scientist make in Utah?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $116,420 for Data Scientists in Utah as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $78,840 and the 75th-percentile is $170,000.
How many Data Scientists does Utah employ?: BLS OES counts 4,830 Data Scientists employed in Utah 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 Utah 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. Utah's overall index of 95.7 reflects rents 106.2, services 73.0, and goods 94.7.
Is Utah a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Data Scientists?: No — Utah'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 Utah?: 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 Utah.
Data scientist vs data analyst pay in Utah — what's the gap?: BLS reports them under different SOC codes (15-2051 for data scientists, 13-1161 for market/data analysts). In Utah, the data scientist median typically runs 30-60% above the data analyst median, reflecting heavier ML/statistics requirements, deeper SQL/Python depth expectations, and stronger industry placement in tech and finance.
Industry vs academia data scientist pay in Utah?: 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 Utah 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.