Data Scientist Salary
The median pay for a data scientists in Illinois is $106,560/year ($51.23/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $69K at the entry level to $169K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $113,543 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 20.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $107K actually covers in Illinois, month by month
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What this looks like in Illinois
Pay for data scientists in Illinois runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $120K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 21.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Illinois can be a reasonable trade-off for data scientists who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level data scientists (10th percentile) start around $69K. Mid-career wages sit at $107K. Top earners bring in $169K or more, a $100K spread from bottom to top.
Data Scientists salary by metro in Illinois
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | $121K | +13% | 590 |
| Peoria | $120K | +13% | 340 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $108K | +1% | 7,940 |
| Rockford | $93K | -13% | 100 |
| Springfield | $92K | -14% | 100 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $92K | -14% | 140 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a data scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $107K, rent takes 21.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for data scientists in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new data scientists typically earn — is $69K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,449/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 32% 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 Illinois?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $107K here vs. $120K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for data scientists?
Illinois pays $107K median vs. the U.S. average of $120K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $114K — below the national median.
How much do data scientists make in Illinois?
The median is $106,560 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $68,810, and experienced data scientists can clear $168,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $107K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,506/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 21.6% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $113,543 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.