Data Scientist Salary
The median pay for a data scientists in Modesto, CA is $104,990/year ($50.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $190K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.11), that's roughly $100,845 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,758/month, or 27.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $105K actually covers in Modesto, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Modesto’s Regional Price Parity (104.11). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Modesto
Pay for data scientists in Modesto runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $120K. Rent runs $1,758/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 104.11) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for data scientists in metros near Modesto, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $170K | $147K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $130K | $114K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $185K | $168K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $131K | $117K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Modesto, CA
Entry-level data scientists (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $190K or more, a $136K 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 annually. We'll email you when Modesto numbers change.
Related careers in Technology
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a data scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Modesto?
Yes — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 27.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,758/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for data scientists in Modesto?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new data scientists typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,673/month. At HUD’s $1,758/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Modesto?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $105K here vs. $120K nationally.
How does Modesto compare to the national average for data scientists?
Modesto pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $120K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.11), the purchasing-power equivalent is $101K — below the national median.
How much do data scientists make in Modesto, CA?
The median is $104,990 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,240, and experienced data scientists can clear $189,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Modesto?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,362/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,758/month, which eats 27.6% 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 Modesto?
Modesto has a Regional Price Parity of 104.11 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median data scientists salary is worth about $100,845 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.