Data Scientist pay in Raleigh, by the numbers
After a simplified 15% national tax estimate that is about US$8,600 a month, in a metro with a cost-of-living index of 100.
Raleigh vs the national and NC picture
San Jose leads at US$185,080, 53% above Raleigh, while San Antonio sits at US$103,290. The neighbours in the ranking are Jacksonville and Phoenix.
No other NC metro has observed data scientist percentiles here, so Raleigh is judged against the 21-metro national list instead.
What the Raleigh median is worth after tax and rent
With a COL index of 100, there is little difference between headline pay and price-adjusted pay (US$120,700).
Adjusting for prices does not move Raleigh in the ranking: it is 14th of 21 on both cash and buying power.
After a simplified 15% effective national income tax, the median nets about US$8,600 a month. A modeled 1-bedroom (US$1,650) takes 19% of that, leaving around US$5,080 after modeled living costs.
Raleigh vs similar-cost metros
In New York — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$135,980 (+13% vs Raleigh), and the modeled budget leaves US$970 more each month.
In Los Angeles — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$129,740 (+7% vs Raleigh), and the modeled budget leaves US$580 more each month.
A data scientist moving from Raleigh to Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median fall 11% to US$107,640, with US$850 less left over monthly in our model.
Other Raleigh jobs compared with data scientist
Of the 9 roles we track in Raleigh, Data Scientist is 3rd by median; the highest is Software Engineer (US$132,770).
Closest neighbours in the Raleigh list: Lawyer at US$131,920 (+9%) and Project Manager at US$102,280 (-15%).
Where Raleigh stands for junior and senior data scientists
Entry-level data scientists fare better here (12th of 21 at the 10th percentile, US$72,190) than senior ones (13th at the 90th, US$180,850).
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$282,840 at the 90th percentile, +56% against Raleigh.
How wide data scientist pay runs in Raleigh
Pay is spread out: US$72,190 at the 10th percentile to US$180,850 at the 90th (2.5×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.