Data Scientist Salary
The median pay for a data scientists in Louisiana is $78,760/year ($37.86/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $128K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $90,238 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 23% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $79K actually covers in Louisiana, month by month
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for data scientists in Louisiana runs about 34% below the U.S. median of $120K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,191/month, 23.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Louisiana can be a reasonable trade-off for data scientists who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level data scientists (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $128K or more, a $75K spread from bottom to top.
Data Scientists salary by metro in Louisiana
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $115K | +46% | 40 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $98K | +25% | 40 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $98K | +25% | 200 |
| Lafayette | $98K | +25% | 50 |
| Baton Rouge | $79K | +0% | 770 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 23.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for data scientists in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new data scientists typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,583/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 34% below the national median — $79K here vs. $120K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for data scientists?
Louisiana pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $120K — that’s -34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — below the national median.
How much do data scientists make in Louisiana?
The median is $78,760 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,050, and experienced data scientists can clear $128,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,086/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 23.4% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $90,238 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.