San Jose · Occupational wage benchmark
Data Scientists Salary in San Jose
What Data Scientists actually earn in the San Jose 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)), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 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
- $185,080
- Data Scientists in San Jose
- Adjusted for cost of living
- $167,610
- San Jose price level 110.4 (U.S. = 100)
- Rank among metros
- #1 of 46
- #1 after cost of living
- Workers employed
- 6,060
- in metro San Jose
What Data Scientists earn in San Jose, adjusted for what it costs to live there
A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Cost of living does not materially change where San Jose sits for this role among major metros.
| 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 San Jose
How to read the San Jose number
The $185,080 median means half of Data Scientists in the San Jose 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 6,060 people in this role in the San Jose 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 San Jose?
Data Scientists in the San Jose metro area earn a median of $185,080 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is +53.9% vs national, ranking San Jose #1 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 $185,080 a good salary in San Jose?
It depends on local prices. The San Jose area price level is 110.4 against a U.S. average of 100, so $185,080 there carries roughly the purchasing power of $167,610 nationally — about $17,470 less than the headline number implies. Cost of living does not materially change where San Jose sits for this role among major metros.
Do Data Scientists in San Jose 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 San Jose 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.