What the numbers say
The median wage for Data Scientists in Minnesota was $117,840 in 2024, about 2% above the national median of $115,636. That gap is narrow, but the cost-of-living picture makes it more interesting: Minnesota's overall price index sits at 96.9, meaning the money goes slightly further here than the national baseline. In purchasing-power terms, that $117,840 lands closer to $121,600 in national-baseline dollars, a more meaningful lead over the US figure than the nominal numbers suggest.
The spread across earners is wide. The 10th percentile came in at $58,940 in 2024, the 90th at $171,260. Top earners make roughly three times what those at the bottom of the range do. That gap reflects how differently this role is defined across employers: an entry-level analyst running standard models at a mid-sized company and a senior ML engineer at a large financial services firm both carry the Data Scientist title, but the pay tells a different story at each end.
With 3,500 people employed in this role statewide, Minnesota is not the largest market for Data Scientists, but the numbers are concentrated enough that individual employers can move the state figures. The mean wage of $118,110 sits almost exactly at the median, which tells us the distribution is unusually balanced here. High earners do not pull the average far above the midpoint, the way they do in states like Washington or New York.
BLS projects this occupation to grow 33.5% between 2024 and 2034, a pace it classifies as much faster than average. If that holds, it would rank among the faster-expanding occupations in the technical fields.
Salary distribution
Where Minnesota data scientists fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $85,000 and $144,200, with a median of $117,840.
Data Scientists in Minnesota: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 281 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $107,592. 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 | 49 | $80,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 92 | $99,029 |
| Level III — experienced | 47 | $120,600 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 53 | $143,917 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Data Scientists in Minnesota. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target Enterprise, Inc. | Senior Data Scientist | 27 | $139,298 |
| Mayo Clinic | Senior Data Science Analyst | 12 | $114,507 |
| COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYST | 9 | $100,000 |
| CitiusTech Inc. | Healthcare Consultant | 9 | $96,000 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | Senior Model Validator | 6 | $141,170 |
| BEST BUY CO., INC. | Data Scientist | 6 | $120,300 |
| CHS Inc. | Scientist, Data Experienced | 6 | $86,441 |
| Optum Services, Inc. | Senior Data Analyst | 5 | $121,535 |
| Ameriprise Financial, Inc. | Data Scientist Manager | 5 | $120,600 |
| University of Minnesota | IT Pro 3-Data Engineering (ETL Developer) | 4 | $89,309 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Senior Business Intelligence Analyst at Cargill, Incorporated$119,642WayzataDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503788
- IT Pro 3-Data Engineering (ETL Developer) at University of Minnesota$127,236MinneapolisDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503893
- Associate Data Science Analyst at Mayo Clinic$86,320RochesterDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-499310
- Junior Data Science Developer / Operational Analyst at Blue Water Financial Technologies Services, LLC$80,000Eden PrairieDecided Dec 22, 2025I-200-25349-483097
- Revenue Operations Specialist at Quavo, Inc.$85,000Eden PrairieDecided Dec 17, 2025I-200-25344-473317
- CLINICAL BUSINESS/ DATA ANALYST at IT DIVISION INC.$97,032EDEN PRAIRIEDecided Dec 15, 2025I-200-25342-464170
- Business Performance Analytics Lead at Old Republic General Services$200,000WoodburyDecided Dec 11, 2025I-200-25338-457150
- Sr. Data Engineer at General Mills, Inc.$108,900MinneapolisDecided Dec 10, 2025I-200-25337-454705
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 Minnesota
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 Minnesota
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 161 certified offers. The most common variant is Data Scientist at a median of $119,163.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | Target Enterprise, Inc. | 53 | $119,163 |
| Data Engineer | General Mills, Inc. | 23 | $107,016 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | 20 | $99,040 |
| Data Analyst | Target Enterprise, Inc. | 17 | $99,029 |
| Senior Data Science Analyst | Mayo Clinic | 13 | $102,960 |
| Data Scientist Manager | Ameriprise Financial, Inc. | 7 | $120,600 |
| Business Analyst | CitiusTech Inc. | 6 | $98,516 |
| Scientist, Data Experienced | CHS Inc. | 6 | $86,441 |
| Director | Tredence Inc. | 4 | $183,680 |
| Data Architect | Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures of the Band of Ojibwe | 4 | $100,000 |
| Sr. Product Manager | Target Enterprise, Inc. | 4 | $152,536 |
| Business Systems Analyst | Amplifon (USA), Inc. | 4 | $80,450 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Data Scientists in Minnesota, by industry
Median offered wage across 280 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $99,029.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | 102 | $99,029 |
| Retail and wholesale | Target Enterprise, Inc. | 60 | $123,119 |
| Manufacturing | General Mills, Inc. | 34 | $119,403 |
| Finance and insurance | U.S. Bank National Association | 30 | $120,600 |
| Education | Mayo Clinic | 22 | $93,622 |
| Professional services | Sathram Corporation | 22 | $99,029 |
| Healthcare | Group Health, Inc. | 4 | $86,643 |
| Media and entertainment | Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures of the Band of Ojibwe | 4 | $100,000 |
| Government and public sector | NRG Energy, Inc. | 1 | $99,029 |
| Transportation and logistics | Northwest Grains International LLC | 1 | $78,894 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Minnesota 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 Minnesota metropolitan areas.
- Minneapolis$119,860
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Data Scientists in Minnesota?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Data Scientists in Minnesota is $117,840.
- How does Minnesota compare to the national median for Data Scientists?
- The Minnesota median is +1.9% versus the BLS national figure of $115,636.
- What is the salary range for Data Scientists in Minnesota?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $58,940 and the 90th-percentile at $171,260, 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.