5.2% higher than the US national median ($120,224)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Data Scientists salary in Virginia in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$76K
P25$97K
P50$126K
P75$166K
P90$208K
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- tech openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, August 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
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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 $126,443 to $165,610 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
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 · STABLE
the Information sector is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 2.5% to 4.3% 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
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings jumped to 4.3% (up 45K; July revised down to 2.8%), but hires fell to a 1.6% rate, the lowest of any major private sector. Quits 1.1%. Postings are up; hiring is not.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings edged up to 3.3%, still the lowest of any major sector. Quits held at 1.0%. Employers keep hiring leverage.
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.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 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 Virginia is $126,443 per year ($60.79/hr). This is 5.2% higher 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: Virginia
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$36.74
$76,419
+13.6%
P25
$46.82
$97,386
+13.7%
P50MEDIAN
$60.79
$126,443
+5.2%
P75
$79.62
$165,610
+4.2%
P90Top earners
$99.95
$207,896
+4.4%
How Virginia compares for Data Scientists
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Data Scientists in Virginia sits above the national range at every level: +13.6% at entry, +5.2% at the median and +4.4% at the top. The gap is larger at entry than at the top.
An offer at the national median of $120,224 would sit at about the 45th percentile in Virginia.
The top of the range earns 2.72 times the bottom here against 2.96 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Virginia.
Virginia employs 8,920 people in this role, 3.4% of the national total.
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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
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
29K
$128,050
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
28K
$132,380
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median data scientists salary in Virginia?
The median (P50) annual salary for Data Scientists in Virginia is approximately $126,443, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 5.2% higher than the national median of $120,224. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
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.
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.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
