What is the real (cost-adjusted) Data Scientist salary in Washington?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 108.4 for Washington), the real-wage equivalent is $146,498 — what the $158,760 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $100,148 to $184,202.

What does the top of the Data Scientist pay scale look like in Washington?

The 90th percentile lands at $226,760. 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 $199,620.

Where does Washington rank for Data Scientist pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Washington ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

How wide is the wage spread in Washington?

P10 to P90 spans $92,680 to $226,760. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Washington?

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 Washington.

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

BLS reports them under different SOC codes (15-2051 for data scientists, 13-1161 for market/data analysts). In Washington, 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 Washington?

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.

Washington Data Scientist Salary: BLS $159K Median, Real $146K (2026)

TL;DR

BLS reports Washington Data Scientist median pay at $158,760. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $146,498.
Quartile range $108,530 (bottom 25%) to $199,620 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $92,680 to $226,760.
Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
Data Scientist ranking: #1 on the BLS table, #1 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — Washington

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$92,680	$85,522
P25 (lower quartile)	$108,530	$100,148
P50 (median)	$158,760	$146,498
P75 (upper quartile)	$199,620	$184,202
P90 (top tier)	$226,760	$209,246
Mean	$162,730	$150,161
Employment	7,930 Data Scientists in Washington

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Washington index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	108.4
Goods	106.9
Services	84.0
Rents	125.5

Washington is a high-cost state — RPP 108.4 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (125.5) and services (84.0).

After-tax take-home — Washington (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)	$158,760	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$26,920	17.0% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax (capital gains tax above $262K)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$12,145	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$119,694	75.4% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$110,450	÷ (108.4 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Washington levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $7,938 a year for a Data Scientist at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After cost of living, real take-home is $110,450 — lower than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP exceeds 100.

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. Washington sits at #1 on nominal pay and #1 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.

Frequently asked questions

What is the real (cost-adjusted) Data Scientist salary in Washington?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 108.4 for Washington), the real-wage equivalent is $146,498 — what the $158,760 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $100,148 to $184,202.
What does the top of the Data Scientist pay scale look like in Washington?: The 90th percentile lands at $226,760. 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 $199,620.
Where does Washington rank for Data Scientist pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Washington ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
How wide is the wage spread in Washington?: P10 to P90 spans $92,680 to $226,760. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Washington?: 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 Washington.
Data scientist vs data analyst pay in Washington — what's the gap?: BLS reports them under different SOC codes (15-2051 for data scientists, 13-1161 for market/data analysts). In Washington, 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 Washington?: 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 Washington 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.