Boston · Occupational wage benchmark
Data Scientists Salary in Boston
What Data Scientists actually earn in the Boston metro area — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against other major metros.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro estimates for SOC 15-2051; cost-of-living adjustment from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MARPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Median annual wage
- $132,040
- Data Scientists in Boston
- Adjusted for cost of living
- $121,959
- Boston price level 108.3 (U.S. = 100)
- Rank among metros
- #8 of 46
- #14 after cost of living
- Workers employed
- 7,930
- in metro Boston
What Data Scientists earn in Boston, adjusted for what it costs to live there
A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, Boston drops 6 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
| Metro | Median (nominal) | Adjusted for cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose | $185,080 | $167,610 |
| San Francisco | $170,110 | $147,137 |
| Seattle | $164,740 | $148,237 |
| New York | $135,980 | $120,803 |
| Baltimore | $134,320 | $128,552 |
| Charlotte | $132,460 | $136,069 |
| Washington DC | $132,200 | $121,414 |
| Boston | $132,040 | $121,959 |
| San Diego | $130,990 | $117,073 |
| Minneapolis | $129,780 | $123,810 |
| Los Angeles | $129,740 | $114,242 |
| Portland | $129,600 | $122,936 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $127,750 | $123,921 |
| Miami | $127,450 | $111,646 |
| Austin | $127,360 | $129,872 |
| Hartford | $126,340 | $122,963 |
| Jacksonville | $122,680 | $123,316 |
| Richmond | $122,510 | $125,192 |
| Raleigh | $120,710 | $122,976 |
| Salt Lake City | $114,990 | $114,000 |
Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (metro RPP ÷ 100) using BEA MARPP 2024 regional price parities.
The national pay range for Data Scientists
BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. The spread within the occupation is usually far wider than the gap between metros.
| Percentile (national) | Annual wage | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $67,240 | Entry / early-career end |
| 25th percentile | $85,660 | |
| Median (50th) | $120,230 | |
| 75th percentile | $158,880 | |
| 90th percentile | $199,130 | Senior / top-market end |
Other MBA-relevant roles in Boston
How to read the Boston number
The $132,040 median means half of Data Scientists in the Boston area earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every experience level, industry, and level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.
BLS counts roughly 7,930 people in this role in the Boston area. To compare against the state and national picture, see Data Scientists nationally or model your own economics with the MBA ROI calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Data Scientists make in Boston?
Data Scientists in the Boston metro area earn a median of $132,040 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is +9.8% vs national, ranking Boston #8 of 46 major metros we track for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark across all workers in the metro, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.
Is $132,040 a good salary in Boston?
It depends on local prices. The Boston area price level is 108.3 against a U.S. average of 100, so $132,040 there carries roughly the purchasing power of $121,959 nationally — about $10,081 less than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, Boston drops 6 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
Do Data Scientists in Boston need an MBA?
These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot isolate what an MBA adds. Data Scientists is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any precise MBA premium for this role in Boston would not be supported by this data.
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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.