Portland data scientist salary: rankings and context
Here is how that number compares with the rest of the United States, with OR, and with other jobs in Portland.
Data Scientist pay in Portland: national and in-state ranking
Directly above Portland is Los Angeles (US$129,740); directly below is Dallas (US$127,750). The full range runs from US$103,290 in San Antonio to US$185,080 in San Jose.
Portland is the only observed OR metro for this role, so there is no in-state average to compare; the national and metro ranking above is the better reference.
What the Portland median is worth after tax and rent
Living costs are close to the baseline (COL index 100), so the median's buying power, about US$129,600, is near its face value.
Adjusting for prices does not move Portland in the ranking: it is 9th of 21 on both cash and buying power.
After a simplified 15% effective national income tax, the median nets about US$9,100 a month. A modeled 1-bedroom (US$1,650) takes 18% of that, leaving around US$5,650 after modeled living costs.
Metros with a cost level like Portland
New York (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$135,980, 5% more than Portland; modeled monthly leftover is US$400 higher.
A data scientist moving from Portland to Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median stay level to US$129,740, with US$10 more left over monthly in our model.
In Chicago — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$107,640 (-17% vs Portland), and the modeled budget leaves US$1,420 less each month.
Other Portland jobs compared with data scientist
Data Scientist ranks 4th of 9 occupations with observed Portland data. Software Engineer leads the city at US$156,000.
Closest neighbours in the Portland list: Registered Nurse at US$130,310 (+1%) and Financial Analyst at US$117,280 (-10%).
How Portland ranks at the low and high end
Entry and senior pay rank the same in Portland: 7th 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, +36% against Portland.
How wide data scientist pay runs in Portland
Pay is spread out: US$78,110 at the 10th percentile to US$208,110 at the 90th (2.7×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.