Data Scientists Salary
The median pay for a data scientists in Charlottesville, VA is $149,800/year ($72.02/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $211K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.15), that's roughly $151,084 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,824/month, or 20.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $150K get you in Charlottesville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlottesville’s Regional Price Parity (99.15). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About data scientists
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What this looks like in Charlottesville
Charlottesville sits well above the national pay line for data scientists, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $120K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,824/month, 20.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 99.15) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Charlottesville offers a genuinely strong financial position for data scientistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for data scientists in metros near Charlottesville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | $106K | $113K |
| Richmond | $123K | $125K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $100K | $102K |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $89K | $96K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlottesville, VA
Entry-level data scientists (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $150K. Top earners bring in $211K or more, a $147K spread from bottom to top.
Data Scientists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Data Scientists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $163K | +36% | 9,600 |
| California | $142K | +18% | 39,310 |
| Maryland | $136K | +13% | 3,340 |
| New Jersey | $135K | +13% | 6,430 |
| Massachusetts | $132K | +10% | 9,420 |
| New York | $130K | +9% | 23,970 |
| Minnesota | $129K | +7% | 4,020 |
| Vermont | $127K | +6% | 200 |
| District of Columbia | $126K | +5% | 2,680 |
| Virginia | $126K | +5% | 8,920 |
| Connecticut | $126K | +5% | 1,760 |
| Oregon | $126K | +5% | 2,140 |
| Texas | $122K | +2% | 25,860 |
| North Carolina | $119K | -1% | 11,430 |
| Colorado | $117K | -2% | 6,280 |
| Florida | $116K | -4% | 10,240 |
| Arkansas | $109K | -9% | 530 |
| Utah | $108K | -10% | 4,360 |
| Arizona | $107K | -11% | 4,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $107K | -11% | 13,810 |
| Wisconsin | $107K | -11% | 4,370 |
| Illinois | $107K | -11% | 10,520 |
| Georgia | $104K | -13% | 9,260 |
| Alabama | $103K | -14% | 1,740 |
| Ohio | $103K | -15% | 6,100 |
| Rhode Island | $102K | -15% | 1,160 |
| Hawaii | $102K | -15% | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $101K | -16% | 1,100 |
| Michigan | $101K | -16% | 7,360 |
| Montana | $100K | -16% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $100K | -17% | 2,790 |
| Nevada | $99K | -18% | 1,680 |
| Nebraska | $98K | -18% | 1,980 |
| Kansas | $98K | -18% | 490 |
| Missouri | $97K | -19% | 4,730 |
| South Dakota | $96K | -20% | 220 |
| New Mexico | $96K | -20% | 560 |
| Iowa | $96K | -20% | 2,300 |
| South Carolina | $92K | -23% | 3,750 |
| Kentucky | $92K | -24% | 1,540 |
| Indiana | $91K | -24% | 3,580 |
| Maine | $91K | -24% | 1,210 |
| Idaho | $89K | -26% | 1,350 |
| Oklahoma | $86K | -28% | 1,900 |
| West Virginia | $85K | -29% | 390 |
| Alaska | $84K | -30% | 230 |
| North Dakota | $82K | -32% | 210 |
| Louisiana | $79K | -34% | 1,300 |
| Mississippi | $69K | -42% | 440 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track data scientists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charlottesville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a data scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlottesville?
Yes — at the median salary of $150K, rent takes 20.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,824/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for data scientists in Charlottesville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new data scientists typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,850/month. At HUD’s $1,824/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is data scientist a high-paying job in Charlottesville?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $150K here vs. $120K nationally.
How does Charlottesville compare to the national average for data scientists?
Charlottesville pays $150K median vs. the U.S. average of $120K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.15), the purchasing-power equivalent is $151K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do data scientists make in Charlottesville, VA?
The median is $149,800 a year, that works out to about $72 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,160, and experienced data scientists can clear $211,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $150K enough to live in Charlottesville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,754/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,824/month, which eats 20.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a data scientists salary go in Charlottesville?
Charlottesville has a Regional Price Parity of 99.15 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median data scientists salary is worth about $151,084 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do data scientists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.