Data Analyst vs Data Scientist Salary US 2025: BLS Data

Data Analyst vs Data Scientist Salary: What Separates the Two

Dan Patiño

· AI Strategy & Innovation at Coderhouse

The two titles overlap enough that companies use them interchangeably, which makes comparing pay harder than it should be. The government statistics do not separate them cleanly either, and being explicit about that is the only way to read the numbers properly. BLS publishes no occupation called 'Data Analyst vs Data Scientist'. The figures here use Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051), with Operations Research Analysts (SOC 15-2031) as a second reference point, from the OEWS May 2025 release.

National median

$120,230

Entry level (10th pct)

$67,240

Projected growth

35% through 2035

What is the median data analyst vs data scientist salary?

Here is the awkward part: BLS does not publish separate wage estimates for the two titles. Both map onto Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051), median $120,230, with Operations Research Analysts at $88,940 covering some of the analyst-side work. The pay gap people describe between the two titles is real in the market but is not something the federal data can measure directly, and anyone claiming an exact figure for it is extrapolating from self-reported sources.

What does the full range look like?

Because both titles sit inside the same occupation code, the published percentiles describe them jointly. What that spread does show is that the distance between the 10th and 90th percentile inside one occupation is larger than any plausible gap between the two job titles, which suggests scope and seniority explain more of the variation than the title on the offer letter does.

Where does the pay actually differ?

Highest-paying states by median: Washington $163,350; California $141,590; Maryland $136,370; New Jersey $135,280; Massachusetts $131,750; New York $130,460. Lowest: Mississippi $69,490; Louisiana $78,760; North Dakota $81,900; Alaska $84,110; West Virginia $85,090; Oklahoma $86,310. Among metro areas with at least 1,000 people in the occupation, the top payers are: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara $185,080; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont $170,110; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue $164,740; New York-Newark-Jersey City $135,980; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson $134,320; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia $132,460. Cost of living is not adjusted in any of these figures, so a high nominal median in an expensive metro can be worth less in practice than a moderate one elsewhere.

What drives the differences?

Four things move pay in this field, roughly in order of impact early on: the metro you work in, the industry (finance and technology pay above healthcare and government for the same title), the size of the employer, and the scope of the role. Years of experience matters, but it compounds later rather than immediately. Note also that OEWS covers base wages only, so equity and bonuses, which are substantial at large technology employers, are not in any of these numbers.

Primary BLS occupation

15-2051 (Data Scientists)

Secondary BLS occupation

15-2031 (Operations Research Analysts)

Secondary occupation median

$88,940

Highest-paying states

Washington $163,350; California $141,590; Maryland $136,370; New Jersey $135,280; Massachusetts $131,750; New York $130,460

Lowest-paying states

Mississippi $69,490; Louisiana $78,760; North Dakota $81,900; Alaska $84,110; West Virginia $85,090; Oklahoma $86,310

Top-paying metros

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara $185,080; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont $170,110; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue $164,740; New York-Newark-Jersey City $135,980; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson $134,320; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia $132,460

How do you move up the range?

The reliable levers are scope and evidence. Moving from producing reports to designing measurement, running experiments and defending a recommendation is what separates the middle of the range from the top of it. Coderhouse teaches that progression directly: the Data Analytics course is live online, 11 weeks long, $595 at launch price, with a curriculum reviewed by Google, Microsoft and MongoDB. It is a course, not a placement program, so there is no job guarantee attached.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a data analyst vs data scientist make in the US?

The closest BLS occupation shows a national median of $120,230 a year as of May 2025. BLS publishes no occupation called 'Data Analyst vs Data Scientist'. The figures here use Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051), with Operations Research Analysts (SOC 15-2031) as a second reference point, from the OEWS May 2025 release.

What is a realistic starting salary?

The 10th percentile is the best available proxy, since BLS does not publish by experience level. Nationally that is $67,240, and it varies by metro considerably more than by employer.

Does location matter more than experience?

Early on, usually yes. The gap between the highest and lowest paying states exceeds what most people gain in their first several years in the role.

Do these figures include bonuses and equity?

No. OEWS covers base wages, which means total compensation at large technology employers is materially higher than these numbers suggest. Treat them as a floor for that segment.

How current is this data?

It is the May 2025 OEWS release, the most recent available. BLS updates it annually, and estimates draw on three years of collected panels, so they lag rapid changes in pay.

Methodology and caveats

BLS publishes no occupation called 'Data Analyst vs Data Scientist'. The figures here use Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051), with Operations Research Analysts (SOC 15-2031) as a second reference point, from the OEWS May 2025 release. OEWS estimates are produced from six semiannual panels collected over three years, which makes them stable but slower to reflect sudden market shifts. They measure wages where the job is located, cover base pay only, and exclude equity, bonuses and self-employed workers. Job titles in this field are not standardized, so any single occupation code is an approximation rather than an exact match for a title you see in a posting.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025