Data Scientists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$120,230
United States, 2025
Employment
262,440
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.
- O*NET code
- 15-2051.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Analyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software.
- Create graphs, charts, or other visualizations to convey the results of data analysis using specialized software.
- Test, validate, and reformulate models to ensure accurate prediction of outcomes of interest.
- Deliver oral or written presentations of the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
- Recommend data-driven solutions to key stakeholders.
- Identify business problems or management objectives that can be addressed through data analysis.
- Compare models using statistical performance metrics, such as loss functions or proportion of explained variance.
- Clean and manipulate raw data using statistical software.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$67,240
25th percentile
$85,660
75th percentile
$158,880
90th percentile
$199,130
Most important skills
- Mathematics4.4
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Programming3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Speaking3.6
- Active Learning3.6
- Writing3.5
- Active Listening3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Time Management3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 12 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
12
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.4 | 5.0 | Not selected | 5.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.3 | 4.6 | Not selected | 4.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | 4.6 | Not selected | 4.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 3.5 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.5 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Programming | 3.8 | — | Not selected | — |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $78,760
Compare with Data ScientistsSupplemental
National median $109,370
Compare with Data ScientistsSupplemental
National median $116,580
Compare with Data ScientistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $185,080 | 6,060 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $170,110 | 10,460 | 2025 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $167,840 | 230 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $164,740 | 8,370 | 2025 |
| WA | $163,350 | 9,600 | 2025 |
| Kennewick, WA | $156,830 | 150 | 2025 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $149,800 | — | 2025 |
| North Port, FL | $146,980 | 210 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $141,760 | 570 | 2025 |
| CA | $141,590 | 39,310 | 2025 |
| Corvallis, OR | $140,190 | 60 | 2025 |
| MD | $136,370 | 3,340 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $135,980 | 23,160 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $135,320 | 430 | 2025 |
| NJ | $135,280 | 6,430 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $134,320 | 1,090 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $134,220 | 60 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $134,040 | 540 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $132,460 | 4,420 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $132,200 | 9,260 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Data Scientists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.