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Best states for a senior data scientist
Quoted expert
Joshua French Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to senior data scientist jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that Oregon is the best state for senior data scientists, while Washington and California are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Oregon has a median salary of $129,222 and Washington has the highest median salary among all 50 states for senior data scientists.
We figured that the best places for senior data scientist jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that Oregon is the best state for senior data scientist jobs, whereas South Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for senior data scientists in 2025
1. Oregon
Total senior data scientist jobs: 789 Average annual salary: $129,222 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.292. California
Total senior data scientist jobs: 5,050 Average annual salary: $136,608 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 1.173. Washington
Total senior data scientist jobs: 1,100 Average annual salary: $139,695 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.024. Alaska
Total senior data scientist jobs: 145 Average annual salary: $112,755 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.185. Idaho
Total senior data scientist jobs: 237 Average annual salary: $114,456 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.986. Montana
Total senior data scientist jobs: 195 Average annual salary: $108,250 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.157. New York
Total senior data scientist jobs: 2,741 Average annual salary: $111,333 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.458. Massachusetts
Total senior data scientist jobs: 1,576 Average annual salary: $109,591 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.169. Delaware
Total senior data scientist jobs: 187 Average annual salary: $108,211 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.0110. Nevada
Total senior data scientist jobs: 255 Average annual salary: $112,564 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
Senior data scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior data scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior data scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $129,222 | $92,000 | 4,142,776 | 789 |
| 2 | California | $136,608 | $96,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,050 |
| 3 | Washington | $139,695 | $100,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,100 |
| 4 | Alaska | $112,755 | $86,000 | 739,795 | 145 |
| 5 | Idaho | $114,456 | $81,000 | 1,716,943 | 237 |
| 6 | Montana | $108,250 | $78,000 | 1,050,493 | 195 |
| 7 | New York | $111,333 | $82,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,741 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $109,591 | $81,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,576 |
| 9 | Delaware | $108,211 | $79,000 | 961,939 | 187 |
| 10 | Nevada | $112,564 | $79,000 | 2,998,039 | 255 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $105,440 | $78,000 | 1,342,795 | 292 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $106,684 | $78,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,784 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $105,543 | $78,000 | 3,588,184 | 639 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $101,404 | $74,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,887 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $107,036 | $79,000 | 1,059,639 | 151 |
| 16 | Utah | $102,556 | $72,000 | 3,101,833 | 509 |
| 17 | Arizona | $102,880 | $72,000 | 7,016,270 | 789 |
| 18 | Maine | $99,106 | $74,000 | 1,335,907 | 184 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $97,833 | $70,000 | 2,088,070 | 280 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $92,290 | $68,000 | 869,666 | 185 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $101,190 | $74,000 | 693,972 | 367 |
| 22 | Texas | $97,142 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,884 |
| 23 | Maryland | $99,088 | $72,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,416 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $92,753 | $68,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,705 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $94,925 | $70,000 | 1,815,857 | 175 |
| 26 | Virginia | $96,351 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,614 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $94,289 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 275 |
| 28 | Vermont | $96,591 | $72,000 | 623,657 | 93 |
| 29 | Michigan | $93,615 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 860 |
| 30 | Illinois | $91,239 | $68,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,935 |
| 31 | Iowa | $92,309 | $68,000 | 3,145,711 | 387 |
| 32 | Ohio | $90,412 | $67,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,166 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $88,058 | $66,000 | 755,393 | 146 |
| 34 | Colorado | $92,708 | $67,000 | 5,607,154 | 808 |
| 35 | Missouri | $89,898 | $66,000 | 6,113,532 | 817 |
| 36 | Alabama | $90,314 | $66,000 | 4,874,747 | 352 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $90,436 | $65,000 | 4,684,333 | 296 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $88,599 | $66,000 | 5,576,606 | 892 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $87,986 | $65,000 | 4,454,189 | 366 |
| 40 | Georgia | $88,098 | $65,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,238 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $86,349 | $64,000 | 5,795,483 | 692 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $87,167 | $64,000 | 3,004,279 | 248 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $86,270 | $62,000 | 579,315 | 66 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $72,557 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 153 |
| 45 | Kansas | $84,979 | $62,000 | 2,913,123 | 359 |
| 46 | Florida | $85,569 | $60,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,732 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $86,527 | $63,000 | 3,930,864 | 227 |
| 48 | Indiana | $83,617 | $62,000 | 6,666,818 | 674 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $82,202 | $60,000 | 6,715,984 | 591 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $82,793 | $60,000 | 2,984,100 | 153 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $82,280 | $60,000 | 5,024,369 | 437 |
Highest paying states for senior data scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Data Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $129,222 |
| 2 | California | $136,608 |
| 3 | Washington | $139,695 |
| 4 | Alaska | $112,755 |
| 5 | Idaho | $114,456 |
| 6 | Montana | $108,250 |
| 7 | New York | $111,333 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $109,591 |
| 9 | Delaware | $108,211 |
| 10 | Nevada | $112,564 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $105,440 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $106,684 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $105,543 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $101,404 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $107,036 |
| 16 | Utah | $102,556 |
| 17 | Arizona | $102,880 |
| 18 | Maine | $99,106 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $97,833 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $92,290 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $101,190 |
| 22 | Texas | $97,142 |
| 23 | Maryland | $99,088 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $92,753 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $94,925 |
| 26 | Virginia | $96,351 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $94,289 |
| 28 | Vermont | $96,591 |
| 29 | Michigan | $93,615 |
| 30 | Illinois | $91,239 |
| 31 | Iowa | $92,309 |
| 32 | Ohio | $90,412 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $88,058 |
| 34 | Colorado | $92,708 |
| 35 | Missouri | $89,898 |
| 36 | Alabama | $90,314 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $90,436 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $88,599 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $87,986 |
| 40 | Georgia | $88,098 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $86,349 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $87,167 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $86,270 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $72,557 |
| 45 | Kansas | $84,979 |
| 46 | Florida | $85,569 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $86,527 |
| 48 | Indiana | $83,617 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $82,202 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $82,793 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $82,280 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior data scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior data scientists to find work opportunities?
Joshua French Ph.D.
Associate Professor Director of Statistical Programs, University of Colorado Denver
With employers increasingly allowing their employees to work from home, particularly in knowledge-driven jobs such as statistics, the physical location of a job won't be as important in the future. However, you can expect that the majority of jobs will still be in larger cities with large tech and corporate presence. In the immediate future, states allowing companies more flexibility in operating normally will see a relative increase in the number of statistics jobs, as companies will be able to increase the amount of business performed in those areas.
Senior data scientist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025