Data Scientists salary in Montana

Montana's median Data Scientist wage was $106,860 in 2024, about 7.6% below the national median of $115,636. That gap is real, but smaller than it first looks once you account for cost of living. Montana's price index sits at 96.8, meaning the dollar goes a bit further here than in most states. In purchasing-power terms, the state median lands close to $110,390 in national-baseline dollars, closing most of that headline difference.

The spread between bottom and top earners is wide. The 10th percentile came in at $75,620 while the 90th reached $162,470. Top earners make roughly 2.1 times what entry-level peers do. That range likely reflects the mix of roles in the state: a junior analyst at a regional firm sits far below a senior scientist at a research institution or a remote tech employer paying coastal rates.

Montana's total Data Scientist employment was around 200 in 2024. A small headcount like that means the wage figures can shift noticeably from one year to the next as a few higher-paid positions come and go. The mean of $111,490 runs above the median, which tells us a handful of higher earners pull the average up.

BLS projects the occupation to grow 33.5% nationally between 2024 and 2034, which it classifies as much faster than average. Montana's own figure is not broken out separately at the state level, but the underlying demand is tied to data infrastructure build-out across industries that operate here, including agriculture, healthcare, and natural resources.