Data Scientist Salary: New York City vs Chicago
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 $46,000 more in New York City, Chicago wins on what actually matters: after tax and cost of living, its real salary is $27,571 higher in equivalent buying power ($97,183 vs $69,612).
Real salary $69,612 equivalent
Entry (25th)$149,000
Median (50th)$205,000
Senior (75th)$260,000
Top (90th)$327,000
49% premium vs national median. Data Scientists in New York City earn approximately 49% higher than the US national median for this role — a $67,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects New York City's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Cost-of-living adjusted picture. Adjusted for New York City's cost-of-living index (187), the median Data Scientist salary buys the equivalent of $109,626 in a US-average-cost city. That's $28,374 less purchasing power than the national median — the higher nominal salary doesn't fully offset local costs.
HIGHER REAL PAY
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.
Head-to-head breakdown
| Metric | New York City | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary | $205,000 ✓ | $159,000 |
| State income tax | 6.85% | 4.95% ✓ |
| Est. take-home pay | $130,175 ✓ | $103,986 |
| Cost-of-living index | 187 | 107 ✓ |
| Real salary (COL-adjusted take-home) | $69,612 | $97,183 ✓ |
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.