Houston data scientist salary: rankings and context
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$7,700; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$106,800.
How Houston compares with United States and TX
Directly above Houston is Chicago (US$107,640); directly below is San Antonio (US$103,290). The full range runs from US$103,290 in San Antonio to US$185,080 in San Jose.
Compared only with other TX metros — San Antonio (US$103,290), Dallas (US$127,750) and Austin (US$127,360) — Houston ranks 3rd of 4, 8% under the US$116,300 state average.
Take-home, rent and buying power for Houston data scientists
With a COL index of 100, there is little difference between headline pay and price-adjusted pay (US$106,800).
Adjusting for prices does not move Houston in the ranking: it is 20th of 21 on both cash and buying power.
Take-home on the median comes to roughly US$7,700 monthly (14% effective tax in our simplified model). Rent for a modeled 1-bedroom is 21% of it, and the single-adult budget ends about US$4,180 in the black.
Houston vs nearby TX metros
In San Antonio — also in TX — the median is US$103,290 (-3% vs Houston), and the modeled budget leaves US$230 less each month.
In Dallas — also in TX — the median is US$127,750 (+20% vs Houston), and the modeled budget leaves US$1,350 more each month.
In New York — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$135,980 (+27% vs Houston), and the modeled budget leaves US$1,870 more each month.
Other Houston jobs compared with data scientist
Lawyer is the best-paid tracked role in Houston at US$157,980; data scientist comes 4th of 9.
Closest neighbours in the Houston list: Mechanical Engineer at US$125,350 (+17%) and Financial Analyst at US$101,660 (-5%).
Entry-level vs senior data scientist pay in Houston
Entry and senior pay rank the same in Houston: 18th of 21 at both the 10th and the 90th percentile.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$282,840 at the 90th percentile, +69% against Houston.
The data scientist pay range in Houston
Pay is spread out: US$62,980 at the 10th percentile to US$167,230 at the 90th (2.7×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.