Data Scientist · Virginia · SOC 15-2051
Data Scientists in Virginia: 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
- BLS reports Virginia Data Scientist median pay at $126,070. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $124,414.
- P25-P75 spread runs $94,630 to $165,370; P10 floor $78,570, P90 ceiling $197,430.
- Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
- State ranks #6 nationally on nominal wage, #2 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Wage breakdown — Virginia
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $78,570 | $77,538 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $94,630 | $93,387 |
| P50 (median) | $126,070 | $124,414 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $165,370 | $163,198 |
| P90 (top tier) | $197,430 | $194,837 |
| Mean | $132,230 | $130,493 |
| Employment | 6,200 Data Scientists in Virginia | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Virginia index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 101.3 |
| Goods | 101.1 |
| Services | 92.4 |
| Rents | 105.6 |
Virginia's overall RPP (101.3) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Virginia (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) | $126,070 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$19,075 | 15.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$6,503 | 2–5.75% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$9,644 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $90,848 | 72.1% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $89,655 | ÷ (101.3 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Virginia state-tax burden means for Data Scientist take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.2% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $90,848 (72.1% of gross). After the 101.3 RPP, real take-home is $89,655.
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. Virginia sits at #6 on nominal pay and #2 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Virginia climbs 4 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Data Scientist make in Virginia?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $126,070 for Data Scientists in Virginia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $94,630 and the 75th-percentile is $165,370.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Data Scientist salary in Virginia?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 101.3 for Virginia), the real-wage equivalent is $124,414 — what the $126,070 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $93,387 to $163,198.
- How wide is the wage spread in Virginia?
- P10 to P90 spans $78,570 to $197,430. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Is Virginia a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Data Scientists?
- No — Virginia's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- Data scientist vs data analyst pay in Virginia — what's the gap?
- BLS reports them under different SOC codes (15-2051 for data scientists, 13-1161 for market/data analysts). In Virginia, 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.
- Does a PhD increase data scientist salary in Virginia?
- 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 Virginia, concentrated in research-heavy industries (pharma, quant finance, AI labs) and largely absent in product analytics roles.
- Industry vs academia data scientist pay in Virginia?
- 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 Virginia 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.