Data Scientist · Vermont · SOC 15-2051
Data Scientist Salary in Vermont (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Headline Data Scientist pay in Vermont is $120,670. Real take-home, after the state's cost-of-living index, lands at $124,220.
- Data Scientist ranking: #10 on the BLS table, #3 once cost of living is in.
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- Quartile range $83,090 (bottom 25%) to $145,530 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $74,260 to $157,760.
Wage breakdown — Vermont
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $74,260 | $76,445 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $83,090 | $85,535 |
| P50 (median) | $120,670 | $124,220 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $145,530 | $149,812 |
| P90 (top tier) | $157,760 | $162,401 |
| Mean | $119,630 | $123,150 |
| Employment | 210 Data Scientists in Vermont | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Vermont index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 97.1 |
| Goods | 97.9 |
| Services | 122.1 |
| Rents | 82.3 |
Vermont's overall RPP (97.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Vermont (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) | $120,670 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$17,794 | 14.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$5,919 | 3.35–8.75% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$9,231 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $87,725 | 72.7% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $90,306 | ÷ (97.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Vermont state-tax burden means for Data Scientist take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.9% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $87,725 (72.7% of gross). After the 97.1 RPP, real take-home is $90,306.
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. Vermont sits at #10 on nominal pay and #3 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Vermont climbs 7 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How are Vermont 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 Vermont employ?
- BLS OES counts 210 Data Scientists employed in Vermont 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 Vermont 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. Vermont's overall index of 97.1 reflects rents 82.3, services 122.1, and goods 97.9.
- Is Vermont a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Data Scientists?
- No — Vermont'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 Vermont?
- 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 Vermont.
- 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 Vermont?
- 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 Vermont 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.