Data Scientist Salary: Chicago vs Dallas
Same job, two cities — but the paycheck that looks bigger isn’t always the one that goes further. We compare gross pay, take-home after tax, and cost-of-living-adjusted real salary.
THE VERDICT
Even though a Data Scientist grosses $4,000 more in Chicago, Dallas wins on what actually matters: after tax and cost of living, its real salary is $16,403 higher in equivalent buying power ($113,586 vs $97,183).
Real salary $97,183 equivalent
Entry (25th)$115,000
Median (50th)$159,000
Senior (75th)$201,000
Top (90th)$253,000
15% premium vs national median. Data Scientists in Chicago earn approximately 15% higher than the US national median for this role — a $21,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects Chicago's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Cost-of-living adjusted picture. Adjusted for Chicago's cost-of-living index (107), the median Data Scientist salary buys the equivalent of $148,598 in a US-average-cost city. That's $10,598 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
HIGHER REAL PAY
Dallas, TXNo state tax
Real salary $113,586 equivalent
Entry (25th)$112,000
Median (50th)$155,000
Senior (75th)$196,000
Top (90th)$246,000
12% premium vs national median. Data Scientists in Dallas earn approximately 12% higher than the US national median for this role — a $17,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects Dallas's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Cost-of-living adjusted picture. Adjusted for Dallas's cost-of-living index (96), the median Data Scientist salary buys the equivalent of $161,458 in a US-average-cost city. That's $23,458 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Head-to-head breakdown
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary | $159,000 ✓ | $155,000 |
| State income tax | 4.95% | None ✓ |
| Est. take-home pay | $103,986 | $109,043 ✓ |
| Cost-of-living index | 107 | 96 ✓ |
| Real salary (COL-adjusted take-home) | $97,183 | $113,586 ✓ |
Real salary = take-home pay (after federal tax, state tax, and FICA) adjusted for each city’s cost-of-living index, shown in US-average-cost dollars. Take-home uses a 22% federal + 7.65% FICA estimate plus state tax; your actual rate depends on filing status and deductions. Methodology · Updated Q3 2026.