SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist Salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (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 + WA
COL Index: 158.78 (+58.8% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 70.6% Realized
$116,354 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $164,740 $79.20/hr
Effective Tax Drag 23.37% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$38,502 $1,480.84/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 $79.20 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$9,884/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$2,372/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$25,899
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$10,214
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$2,389
Washington Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$116,354 ($4,475.14 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Data Scientist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $164,740
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $81.1k 25th $109k Median: $164,740 50th (Median) $165k 75th $210k 90th $231k You: $164,740
10th (Entry) $81,130 $39.00/hr
25th (Junior) $108,740 $52.28/hr
50th (Median) $164,740 $79.20/hr
75th (Senior) $210,370 $101.14/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $230,980 $111.05/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$92,078$44.27/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$117,427$56.46/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$164,699$79.18/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$217,726$104.68/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$272,808$131.16/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
22% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $2,180/month Requires minimum annual gross of $87,200
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,549/month Requires minimum annual gross of $101,960
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $35.12/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $31.10/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.

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$164,740-$38,502$116,354$4,475.14
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$195,629-$47,143$136,748$5,259.52
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$226,518-$54,799$158,128$6,081.84
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$257,406-$64,420$177,542$6,828.54
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$288,295-$74,437$196,560$7,560.01
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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$164,740/yr
$79.20/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
23.37% Effective
-$38,502 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
22% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$7,516/mo
Post-$2,180/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: Market Snapshot

Data Scientist roles in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA report a median annual wage of $164,740, 37.0% above the national median of $120,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $81,130 to $230,980, and HUD’s $2,180 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 15.9% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $35.12 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+12.3%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+3.3%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+1.9%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830-4.8%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800-9.1%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980-10.8%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760-13.9%
Corvallis, OR$140,190-14.9%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980-17.5%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$135,320-17.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$370,000$177.88/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$216,580$104.12/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$214,680$103.21/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$204,340$98.24/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$203,150$97.67/hr
Financial Manager$185,550$89.21/hr
Sales Managers$184,320$88.62/hr
Marketing Managers$175,850$84.54/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$174,260$83.78/hr
Human Resources Managers$171,360$82.38/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $164,740 a year ($79.20/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Scientist in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The median annual wage is $164,740 ($79.20 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $81,130 and $230,980. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Scientist in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA after taxes?

On the median wage of $164,740, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $123,866 a year ($10,322 a month) after $40,874 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 24.81%, using 2026 tax rules.