What the numbers say
Colorado's median wage for Data Scientists was $106,500 in 2024, about 8% below the national median of $115,636. That gap is smaller than it looks once you account for cost of living. Colorado's price index sits at 103, just 3% above the national baseline, so the nominal shortfall narrows to roughly 5% in real terms.
The spread between low and high earners is wide. The 10th percentile came in at $67,330 and the 90th at $172,010. Top earners here make about 2.6 times what those starting out make. That range reflects how much experience, domain focus, and the type of employer shape pay in this field. The mean wage of $118,250 runs above the median, which tells us a smaller group of senior practitioners pull the average up.
With 6,750 Data Scientists employed in the state, Colorado ranks among the larger markets outside the coastal tech clusters. BLS projects this occupation to grow 33.5% nationally between 2024 and 2034, a pace it classifies as much faster than average. State-level growth figures are not broken out in the projections data, but Colorado's share of employment in this role suggests the state participates meaningfully in that trend.
The national median leads Colorado's by about $9,100. After adjusting for what that money actually buys, the effective gap drops to around $4,600. For a Data Scientist weighing Colorado against higher-paying states, housing and general living costs will close more of the difference than the headline numbers suggest.
Salary distribution
Where Colorado data scientists fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $86,560 and $132,890, with a median of $106,500.
Data Scientists in Colorado: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 299 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $100,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 63 | $75,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 117 | $97,864 |
| Level III — experienced | 42 | $130,520 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 32 | $150,883 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Data Scientists in Colorado. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISH Wireless, LLC | Data Scientist II | 16 | $95,347 |
| DISH Network LLC | Data Engineer II | 15 | $95,347 |
| Dish Wireless LLC | Data Engineer II | 14 | $96,250 |
| WAL-MART ASSOCIATES, INC. | SENIOR DATA ANALYST | 9 | $131,670 |
| University of Colorado Denver | IT Principal Professional | 8 | $73,902 |
| Charles Schwab & Company, Inc. | Sr. Specialist, Risk Analytics/Modeling | 6 | $118,365 |
| Google LLC | Strategy and Operations Program Analyst | 5 | $148,470 |
| Dish Network L.L.C. | Data Scientist II | 4 | $97,057 |
| DISH NETWORK, LLC | Business Operations Manager I | 4 | $106,039 |
| CitiusTech Inc. | Business Systems Analyst | 4 | $104,250 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Data Engineer II at Dish Wireless LLC$95,680EnglewoodDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503065
- Data Engineer II at DISH Network LLC$95,680EnglewoodDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-501607
- Data Engineer at Techpro Solutions, Inc.$96,000Greenwood VillageDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503313
- Applied Machine Learning Scientist at UNLEARN.AI, INC.$155,000DENVERDecided Dec 30, 2025I-202-25357-504420
- BI Engineer at Janus Henderson Investors US, LLC$120,000DenverDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-498025
- Data Engineer II at Dish Wireless LLC$95,680EnglewoodDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-499471
- Data Analyst at CarePoint Health, LLC$86,320Suite #312ADecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-495214
- Data Engineer at Intellectt Inc$116,480Greenwood VillageDecided Dec 19, 2025I-200-25346-478213
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Data Scientists pay by experience level in Colorado
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Data Scientists specialties in Colorado
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 177 certified offers. The most common variant is Data Scientist at a median of $97,864.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | DISH Wireless, LLC | 48 | $97,864 |
| Data Engineer | DISH Network LLC | 33 | $97,864 |
| Data Analyst | WAL-MART ASSOCIATES, INC. | 24 | $92,175 |
| Business Analyst | Western Union, LLC | 17 | $95,347 |
| Senior Manager, Data & Analytics | Charles Schwab & Company, Inc. | 16 | $137,007 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | ALLAGI TECHNOLOGIES INC | 9 | $90,272 |
| Lead Analyst, Business Intelligence | SIRIUS XM RADIO LLC | 8 | $95,182 |
| Business Systems Analyst | Unisoft Solutions LLC | 5 | $100,000 |
| Sr Product Manager | Workday, Inc. | 5 | $105,000 |
| Consultant | World Wide Technology Holding Company, LLC | 5 | $127,711 |
| Director, Data Science | Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 4 | $190,840 |
| IT Principal Professional | University of Colorado Denver | 3 | $83,595 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Data Scientists in Colorado, by industry
Median offered wage across 291 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $96,250.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | DISH Wireless, LLC | 153 | $96,250 |
| Professional services | BLEND360, LLC | 37 | $119,400 |
| Finance and insurance | Charles Schwab & Company, Inc. | 24 | $118,365 |
| Retail and wholesale | WAL-MART ASSOCIATES, INC. | 21 | $110,000 |
| Manufacturing | Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 19 | $118,500 |
| Education | University of Colorado Denver | 15 | $74,859 |
| Healthcare | DaVita, Inc. | 8 | $87,766 |
| Media and entertainment | United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee | 3 | $82,000 |
| Real estate | CBRE, INC. | 3 | $135,000 |
| Energy and utilities | GUZMAN ENERGY LLC | 3 | $105,000 |
| Government and public sector | NRG Entergy, Inc. | 2 | $107,881 |
| Transportation and logistics | Frontier Airlines | 2 | $77,142 |
| Nonprofit and civic | ISA Life Sciences Inc | 1 | $96,000 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Colorado over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
Common tasks (O*NET)
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+33.5%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing much faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Metro-level salary data for data scientists in major Colorado metropolitan areas.
- Denver$105,380
Compare Data Scientists pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Data Scientists in Colorado?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Data Scientists in Colorado is $106,500.
- How does Colorado compare to the national median for Data Scientists?
- The Colorado median is -7.9% versus the BLS national figure of $115,636.
- What is the salary range for Data Scientists in Colorado?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $67,330 and the 90th-percentile at $172,010, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Data Scientists a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 33.5% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Data Scientists?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.