What the numbers say
Massachusetts Data Scientists earned a median of $132,250 in 2024, about 14% above the US median of $115,636. The mean came in higher at $139,670, which tells us a smaller group of senior practitioners pull the average up.
The range from the 10th to the 90th percentile runs from $80,740 to $200,770. Top earners in the state make roughly 2.5 times what someone at the bottom of the range does. That kind of spread shows up in fields where title, specialization, and years of experience translate directly into pay. An entry-level data scientist and a principal doing ML infrastructure work are doing different jobs, even if BLS counts them in the same bucket.
Massachusetts has a cost-of-living index of 109.6, about 10% above the national baseline. After adjusting for that, the $16,600 nominal premium over the national median narrows to something closer to $1,600 in real purchasing terms. The headline advantage is real, but thinner than it looks.
BLS projects this occupation to grow 33.5% between 2024 and 2034, a much faster rate than most occupations. At that pace, the field would add roughly a third more positions over the decade. We see no reason to expect Massachusetts to lag the national trend, given the concentration of research institutions and life sciences employers in the state, though we do not have a state-level breakdown of that projection.
Salary distribution
Where Massachusetts data scientists fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $103,130 and $167,710, with a median of $132,250.
Data Scientists in Massachusetts: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 1,000 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $115,205. 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 | 243 | $83,142 |
| Level II — qualified | 295 | $111,966 |
| Level III — experienced | 164 | $141,708 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 118 | $161,803 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Data Scientists in Massachusetts. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayfair LLC | Data Scientist II | 39 | $132,000 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Business Intelligence Engineer I | 20 | $119,644 |
| Staples, Inc. | Associate Data Scientist (SC) | 18 | $124,722 |
| Chewy, Inc. | Business Intelligence Engineer II | 13 | $141,795 |
| Citizens Financial Group, Inc. | Data Scientist | 12 | $100,148 |
| Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | Senior Manager, Advanced Data Analytics and Insights | 12 | $148,762 |
| Fidelity Technology Group, LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | Director, Data Science | 11 | $114,088 |
| State Street Bank and Trust Company | Business Analysis [00083114] | 11 | $95,384 |
| CVS Shared Services Resources LLC | Data Scientist | 11 | $127,518 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | Commercial Analytics Senior Manager | 10 | $155,283 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Clinical Data Manager III at PROMETRIKA LLC$122,400CambridgeDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25357-504499
- Director - Analytics at ProcDNA Inc.$228,123BostonDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502746
- Business Intelligence Analyst at ZGC Capital Corporation$90,272RevereDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25354-499825
- BUSINESS ANALYST (CPQ ANALYST) at RPA TECHNOLOGIES LLC$90,230WALTHAMDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-497804
- Machine Learning Engineer at Availity, LLC$155,000BostonDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-493429
- Business Intelligence Analyst at Noble Club Financial Services, LLC$114,088NEWTONDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-495822
- Lead Data Scientist at ICE MORTGAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.$161,900BostonDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25353-496065
- Senior Manager, Data Science at FMR LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments$161,803BostonDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-493096
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 Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 584 certified offers. The most common variant is Data Scientist at a median of $130,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | Wayfair LLC | 198 | $130,000 |
| Senior Manager, Data Science | Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | 57 | $133,952 |
| Data Engineer | Amazon.com Services LLC | 57 | $114,088 |
| Data Analyst | Staples, Inc. | 57 | $97,949 |
| Senior Analyst, Commercial Business Analytics | Wayfair LLC | 47 | $102,856 |
| Business Analyst | Asta CRS, Inc. | 40 | $90,115 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | 33 | $93,600 |
| Director, Data Science | Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | 31 | $161,803 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | Adobe Inc. | 22 | $145,000 |
| Business Intelligence Engineer | Amazon.com Services LLC | 15 | $116,470 |
| Senior Consultant | TTEC Digital, LLC | 15 | $116,157 |
| Machine Learning Scientist | Wayfair LLC | 12 | $157,750 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Data Scientists in Massachusetts, by industry
Median offered wage across 992 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $103,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Microsoft Corporation | 257 | $103,000 |
| Professional services | Citizens Financial Group, Inc. | 213 | $120,000 |
| Finance and insurance | Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | 174 | $126,488 |
| Retail and wholesale | Wayfair LLC | 131 | $130,000 |
| Manufacturing | Analog Devices, Inc. | 117 | $139,636 |
| Healthcare | Boston Medical Center Corporation | 54 | $91,951 |
| Education | University of Massachusetts Office of the President | 17 | $91,000 |
| Real estate | Oak Forest Realty | 8 | $90,115 |
| Energy and utilities | NATIONAL GRID USA SERVICE COMPANY, INC. | 7 | $122,000 |
| Nonprofit and civic | CANDID | 6 | $101,428 |
| Transportation and logistics | Global GP LLC | 4 | $100,858 |
| Government and public sector | Boston Housing Authority | 3 | $102,856 |
| Media and entertainment | DK Crown Holdings Inc. | 1 | $114,088 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts metropolitan areas.
- Boston$131,830
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Data Scientists in Massachusetts?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Data Scientists in Massachusetts is $132,250.
- How does Massachusetts compare to the national median for Data Scientists?
- The Massachusetts median is +14.4% versus the BLS national figure of $115,636.
- What is the salary range for Data Scientists in Massachusetts?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $80,740 and the 90th-percentile at $200,770, 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.