SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist Salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (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 + CO
COL Index: 137.11 (+37.1% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 69.9% Realized
$78,707 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $112,520 $54.10/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24.05% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$27,061 $1,040.82/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 $54.10 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,751/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,485/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$14,439
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,976
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,632
Colorado Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,945
Denver Occupational Privilege Tax
LOCAL
-$69
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$78,707 ($3,027.21 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Data Scientist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $112,520
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $74.8k 25th $97.2k Median: $112,520 50th (Median) $113k 75th $148k 90th $179k You: $112,520
10th (Entry) $74,830 $35.98/hr
25th (Junior) $97,180 $46.72/hr
50th (Median) $112,520 $54.10/hr
75th (Senior) $147,950 $71.13/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $178,700 $85.91/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$62,891$30.24/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$80,204$38.56/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$112,492$54.08/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$148,710$71.50/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$186,332$89.58/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
28% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,831/month Requires minimum annual gross of $73,240
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,169/month Requires minimum annual gross of $86,760
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $30.32/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $28.13/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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.

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$112,520-$27,061$78,707$3,027.21
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$133,618-$33,987$91,614$3,523.60
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$154,715-$41,233$104,199$4,007.66
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$175,813-$48,479$116,785$4,491.71
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$196,910-$54,956$130,140$5,005.37
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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$112,520/yr
$54.10/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
24.05% Effective
-$27,061 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
28% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,728/mo
Post-$1,831/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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: Market Snapshot

Data Scientist roles in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO report a median annual wage of $112,520, 6.4% below the national median of $120,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $74,830 to $178,700, and HUD’s $1,831 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 19.5% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $30.32 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+64.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+51.2%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+49.2%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$164,740+46.4%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830+39.4%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800+33.1%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980+30.6%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760+26.0%
Corvallis, OR$140,190+24.6%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980+20.8%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Computer and Information Systems Managers$203,340$97.76/hr
Financial Manager$193,400$92.98/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$191,440$92.04/hr
Marketing Managers$182,470$87.73/hr
Sales Managers$181,580$87.30/hr
Purchasing Managers$180,000$86.54/hr
Public Relations Managers$174,260$83.78/hr
Human Resources Managers$170,940$82.18/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$168,850$81.18/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$165,000$79.33/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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO is $112,520 a year ($54.10/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Scientist in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

The median annual wage is $112,520 ($54.10 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $74,830 and $178,700. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Scientist in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO after taxes?

On the median wage of $112,520, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $83,676 a year ($6,973 a month) after $28,844 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 25.63%, using 2026 tax rules.