SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist Salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (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 + TX
COL Index: 107.37 (+7.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.9% Realized
$78,933 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $106,750 $51.32/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.06% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$21,412 $823.55/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 $51.32 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,405/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,409/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$13,246
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,619
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,548
Texas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$78,933 ($3,035.87 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Data Scientist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $106,750
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $63.0k 25th $81.3k Median: $106,750 50th (Median) $107k 75th $141k 90th $167k You: $106,750
10th (Entry) $62,980 $30.28/hr
25th (Junior) $81,300 $39.09/hr
50th (Median) $106,750 $51.32/hr
75th (Senior) $141,290 $67.93/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $167,230 $80.40/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$59,666$28.69/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$76,091$36.58/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$106,723$51.31/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$141,084$67.83/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$176,777$84.99/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
19% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,261/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,440
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,497/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.75/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.58/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

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$106,750-$21,412$78,933$3,035.87
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$126,766-$27,083$92,077$3,541.42
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$146,781-$33,077$104,898$4,034.53
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$166,797-$39,123$117,666$4,525.60
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$186,813-$45,027$130,577$5,022.19
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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$106,750/yr
$51.32/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
20.06% Effective
-$21,412 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
19% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$5,317/mo
Post-$1,261/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Market Snapshot

Data Scientist roles in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX report a median annual wage of $106,750, 11.2% below the national median of $120,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $62,980 to $167,230, and HUD’s $1,261 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 14.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.75 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+73.4%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+59.4%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+57.2%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$164,740+54.3%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830+46.9%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800+40.3%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980+37.7%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760+32.8%
Corvallis, OR$140,190+31.3%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980+27.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$275,270$132.34/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,160$82.77/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$172,020$82.70/hr
Financial Manager$166,910$80.25/hr
Marketing Managers$153,030$73.57/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$148,870$71.57/hr
Human Resources Managers$142,110$68.32/hr
Data Engineer$139,100$66.88/hr
Purchasing Managers$139,050$66.85/hr
Physician Assistant$137,240$65.98/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $106,750 a year ($51.32/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Data Scientist in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median annual wage is $106,750 ($51.32 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $62,980 and $167,230. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Scientist in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX after taxes?

On the median wage of $106,750, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $83,929 a year ($6,994 a month) after $22,821 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.38%, using 2026 tax rules.