Data Scientists salary in Rochester, NY
Median pay for data scientists in Rochester, NY: $84,080/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $44,840 – $148,370 · about 700 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($93,540) by −$9,460 (-10%).
What it's really worth in Rochester
With Rochester's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $84,080 has the buying power of about $85,457 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $71,349 · median home $285,034 · median rent $1,597/mo.
How Rochester ranks for this job
On raw pay, Rochester, NY is 126th of the 171 metros we hold data scientists wages for. Once Rochester's cost of living is applied, it ranks 140th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Rochester sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Rochester
A median home in Rochester, NY costs $285,034 — about 3.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,597/mo works out at 23% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where data scientists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Rochester.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Rochester | Rent vs Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $171,800 | +104% | 2.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $163,430 | +94% | 2× |
| Seattle, WA | $135,610 | +61% | 1.4× |
| Washington, DC | $135,080 | +61% | 1.5× |
Same job elsewhere in NY
| Metro | Median pay | vs Rochester | Rent vs Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $133,560 | +59% | 2.2× |
| Albany, NY | $99,250 | +18% | 1.1× |
| Buffalo, NY | $97,770 | +16% | 0.9× |
| Binghamton, NY | $91,610 | +9% | 0.8× |
Staying in NY keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires data scientists around Rochester
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
Other jobs in Rochester
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 171 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.