SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist Salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + NY
COL Index: 105.65 (+5.7% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 69.8% Realized
$71,347 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $102,250 $49.16/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24.22% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$24,768 $952.61/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $49.16 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,135/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,350/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$12,315
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,340
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,483
New York Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,631
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$71,347 ($2,744.12 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Data Scientist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $102,250
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $55.9k 25th $75.3k Median: $102,250 50th (Median) $102k 75th $139k 90th $159k You: $102,250
10th (Entry) $55,940 $26.89/hr
25th (Junior) $75,320 $36.21/hr
50th (Median) $102,250 $49.16/hr
75th (Senior) $138,980 $66.82/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $158,960 $76.42/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$57,150$27.48/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$72,884$35.04/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$102,224$49.15/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$135,137$64.97/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$169,325$81.41/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY medianView National Data Scientist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Specialists, All Other-$39,130/yr
National median: $81,100
Skill overlap: 95%
Statisticians-$14,580/yr
National median: $105,650
Skill overlap: 94%
Operations Research Analysts-$31,290/yr
National median: $88,940
Skill overlap: 91%View Salary
Statistical Assistants-$69,900/yr
National median: $50,330
Skill overlap: 88%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
20% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,203/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,120
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,423/month Requires minimum annual gross of $56,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.36/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $22.99/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$102,250-$24,768$71,347$2,744.12
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$121,422-$31,336$82,800$3,184.62
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$140,594-$38,243$93,915$3,612.12
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$159,766-$45,303$104,877$4,033.72
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$178,938-$52,243$115,958$4,459.94
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Data Scientist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and New York tax codes.

Market Baseline
$102,250/yr
$49.16/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
24.22% Effective
-$24,768 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
20% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,743/mo
Post-$1,203/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 15-2051.00
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Data Scientist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: Market Snapshot

Data Scientist roles in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY report a median annual wage of $102,250, 15.0% below the national median of $120,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $55,940 to $158,960, and HUD’s $1,203 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 14.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.36 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+81.0%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+66.4%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+64.1%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$164,740+61.1%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830+53.4%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800+46.5%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980+43.7%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760+38.6%
Corvallis, OR$140,190+37.1%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980+33.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$239,990$115.38/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,650$83.00/hr
Financial Manager$164,230$78.96/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$164,120$78.90/hr
Sales Managers$163,090$78.41/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$156,500$75.24/hr
Human Resources Managers$150,180$72.20/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$144,510$69.48/hr
Marketing Managers$144,390$69.42/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$139,570$67.10/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 282 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Data Scientist Salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY is $102,250 a year ($49.16/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Scientist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Data Scientist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The median annual wage is $102,250 ($49.16 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $55,940 and $158,960. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Scientist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY after taxes?

On the median wage of $102,250, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $75,770 a year ($6,314 a month) after $26,480 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 25.9%, using 2026 tax rules.