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Data Scientists Salary in Kentucky

SOC 15-2051 · Kentucky · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$91,770
$44.12/hr
23.7% lower than the US national median ($120,224)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Data Scientists salary in Kentucky in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$62K
P25$76K
P50$92K
P75$122K
P90$156K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
↓
Demand: COOLING. Demand is cooling -- tech openings are at 3.1% and easing (JOLTS, June 2026). Employers have more leverage, so the median (or slightly below) is competitive; you do not need to stretch.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in information & tech are rising about 2.9% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.5-3.0% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $91,770 to $121,846 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median is plenty in this softer market.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Data Scientists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 6.8% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.9% wage growth of the Information sector (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · COOLING

the Information sector is running a 3.1% job-openings rate with quits at 1.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 2.9% to 3.1% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings rebounded to 3.1% (up 0.6pp) but remain the lowest of any major sector. Employers keep hiring leverage.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.9% per year, down from 3.5% the prior quarter.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Data Scientists in Kentucky is $91,770 per year ($44.12/hr). This is 23.7% lower than the national median of $120,224.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

Wage Percentiles: Kentucky

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P10Entry level$29.80$61,984-7.8%
P25$36.35$75,608-11.7%
P50MEDIAN$44.12$91,770-23.7%
P75$58.58$121,846-23.3%
P90Top earners$75.23$156,478-21.4%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Data Scientists
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Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+33.5%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
23K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
246K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
35% from new growth65% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
29K$128,050
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
28K$132,380
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median data scientists salary in Kentucky?

The median (P50) annual salary for Data Scientists in Kentucky is approximately $91,770, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 23.7% lower than the national median of $120,224. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.

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