Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$70,740
To
$84,600
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$107,640
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$84,600
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$138,210
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$118,860
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected estimate
Intermediate range for Data Scientist in Chicago
$84,600 to $138,210
This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$107,640
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$84,600
To
$138,210
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$138,210
To
$168,880
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare data scientist offers in Chicago against $70,740 to $84,600.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare data scientist offers in Chicago against $84,600 to $138,210.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare data scientist offers in Chicago against $138,210 to $168,880.
How Chicago Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Chicago is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Data Scientists, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$174,830
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$160,460
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$144,700
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$143,510
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$137,030
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$136,700
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$126,830
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$125,040
Miami
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$123,250
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$118,860
How Data Scientist Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares data scientist pay in Chicago with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$192,460
Branch Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
CFO
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Controller
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Finance Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$187,420
Data Scientist
Data Scientists, SOC 15-2051
$118,860
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for data scientists in Chicago is $107,640. The middle market range runs from $84,600 at the 25th percentile to $138,210 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $70,740to $168,880.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $70,740 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $84,600 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $107,640 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $138,210 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $168,880 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Data Scientist to BLS occupation Data Scientists, SOC 15-2051. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Data Scientists, SOC 15-2051, as the public wage source for Data Scientist.
- BLS area
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Employment estimate
- 7,940
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median data scientist salary in Chicago?
The median annual salary for data scientists in Chicago is $107,640, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Data Scientists.
How much can fresher data scientist candidates expect in Chicago?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For data scientists in Chicago, that range is $70,740 to $84,600. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate data scientist salary range in Chicago?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For data scientists in Chicago, that range is $84,600 to $138,210.
What do senior data scientist candidates earn in Chicago?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For data scientists in Chicago, that range is $138,210 to $168,880.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Data Scientists instead of only Data Scientist?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Data Scientist to Data Scientists, SOC 15-2051, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Chicago mean city limits or a metro area?
Chicago is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 5 Apr 2026|Last updated: 16 Jul 2026
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