Data Scientist Salary
The median pay for a data scientists in Philadelphia, PA is $109,910/year ($52.84/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $182K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $107,177 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,810/month, or 25.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $110K actually covers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Data scientists pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington tracks closely to the national median, $110K locally vs. $120K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,810/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for data scientists in metros near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $97K | $102K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $97K | $98K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $102K | $102K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $85K | $91K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level data scientists (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $110K. Top earners bring in $182K or more, a $114K 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Yes — at the median salary of $110K, rent takes 26.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for data scientists in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new data scientists typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,509/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $110K locally vs. $120K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for data scientists?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $110K median vs. the U.S. average of $120K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $107K — below the national median.
How much do data scientists make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $109,910 a year, that works out to about $53 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,950, and experienced data scientists can clear $181,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $110K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,861/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 26.4% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (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 $107,177 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.