South Carolina · Occupational wage benchmark
Data Scientists Salary in South Carolina
What Data Scientists actually earn in South Carolina — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against every other state.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), South Carolina state estimates for SOC 15-2051; cost-of-living adjustment derived from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (RPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Median annual wage
- $91,990
- Data Scientists in South Carolina
- Adjusted for cost of living
- $98,124
- South Carolina price level 93.7 (U.S. = 100)
- Rank among states
- #39 of 49
- #39 after cost of living
- Workers employed
- 3,750
- in South Carolina
What Data Scientists earn in South Carolina, adjusted for what it costs to live there
A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Cost of living does not meaningfully change where South Carolina sits for this role.
| State | Median (nominal) | Adjusted for cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $163,350 | $152,645 |
| California | $141,590 | $127,881 |
| Maryland | $136,370 | $129,927 |
| New Jersey | $135,280 | $124,333 |
| Massachusetts | $131,750 | $124,578 |
| New York | $130,460 | $120,885 |
| Minnesota | $128,800 | $130,601 |
| Vermont | $127,070 | $129,719 |
| District of Columbia | $126,490 | $115,094 |
| Virginia | $126,430 | $125,049 |
| Connecticut | $126,340 | $121,938 |
| Oregon | $125,990 | $121,893 |
| Texas | $122,090 | $125,792 |
| North Carolina | $119,090 | $126,254 |
| Colorado | $117,400 | $113,923 |
| Florida | $115,820 | $111,996 |
| Arkansas | $109,390 | $125,827 |
| Utah | $108,090 | $109,332 |
| Arizona | $107,240 | $106,519 |
| Pennsylvania | $106,850 | $109,509 |
| Wisconsin | $106,680 | $113,375 |
| Illinois | $106,560 | $106,605 |
| Georgia | $104,340 | $108,357 |
| Alabama | $103,120 | $116,096 |
| Ohio | $102,630 | $110,624 |
| Rhode Island | $102,440 | $100,156 |
| Hawaii | $102,130 | $92,887 |
| New Hampshire | $100,620 | $96,597 |
| Michigan | $100,590 | $104,545 |
| Montana | $100,490 | $106,176 |
| Tennessee | $100,330 | $109,209 |
| Nevada | $98,540 | $98,561 |
| Nebraska | $98,230 | $109,020 |
| Kansas | $98,130 | $108,951 |
| Missouri | $97,090 | $106,907 |
| South Dakota | $96,150 | $108,539 |
| New Mexico | $95,850 | $103,945 |
| Iowa | $95,830 | $109,193 |
| South Carolina | $91,990 | $98,124 |
| Kentucky | $91,760 | $101,776 |
| Indiana | $91,470 | $98,008 |
| Maine | $90,880 | $93,642 |
| Idaho | $89,380 | $93,598 |
| Oklahoma | $86,310 | $98,255 |
| West Virginia | $85,090 | $95,076 |
| Alaska | $84,110 | $82,172 |
| North Dakota | $81,900 | $92,065 |
| Louisiana | $78,760 | $89,290 |
| Mississippi | $69,490 | $79,917 |
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 ÷ (state RPP ÷ 100) using BEA RPP 2024 all-items regional price parities. An adjusted figure is a purchasing-power comparison, not a wage anyone is paid.
The national pay range for Data Scientists
BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. It shows the spread within the occupation — the gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is usually far wider than the gap between states.
| 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 South Carolina
How to read the South Carolina number
The $91,990 median means half of Data Scientists in South Carolina earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every level of experience, every industry, and every level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.
BLS counts roughly 3,750 people in this role in South Carolina. The national percentile spread above is the more useful planning tool: within a single occupation, the distance between the 10th and 90th percentile typically dwarfs the difference between states. Where you land inside that range is driven far more by industry, function, and seniority than by geography.
What this data can and cannot tell you
This page answers “what does this role pay here.” It cannot answer “what will an MBA pay me here.” The BLS surveys establishments about occupations, not degrees, so no MBA premium can be isolated from it. Any site presenting these figures as MBA salaries is overstating what the source supports.
For MBA-specific figures we rely on cited school employment reports and moderated submissions, published only above our sample-size gates — see our methodology. To model your own economics, the MBA ROI calculator turns a target salary, tuition, and debt into a payback estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Data Scientists make in South Carolina?
Data Scientists in South Carolina earn a median of $91,990 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is -23.5% vs national, ranking South Carolina #39 of 49 states with published data for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark measured across all workers in the occupation, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.
Is $91,990 a good salary for Data Scientists in South Carolina?
It depends on local prices. South Carolina's overall price level is 93.7 against a U.S. average of 100, so a $91,990 salary there has roughly the purchasing power of $98,124 nationally — about $6,134 more than the headline number implies. Cost of living does not meaningfully change where South Carolina sits for this role.
Do Data Scientists in South Carolina need an MBA?
These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot tell you what an MBA specifically 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 claim of a precise MBA premium for this role in South Carolina would not be supported by this data. Verified MBA-specific outcomes are collected separately and published only once they clear our sample-size gates.
Why is housing cost relevant to Data Scientists pay in South Carolina?
Housing is the single largest driver of geographic cost differences. South Carolina's housing price level is 80.5 against a U.S. average of 100 — well below average, which meaningfully stretches local pay. Overall prices there sit at 93.7.
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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.