Data Scientists salary in Waco, TX
Median pay for data scientists in Waco, TX: $90,980/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $45,730 – $157,530 · about 80 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($93,540) by −$2,560 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Waco
With Waco's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $90,980 has the buying power of about $99,830 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $59,193 · median home $256,772 · median rent $1,404/mo.
How Waco ranks for this job
On raw pay, Waco, TX is 97th of the 171 metros we hold data scientists wages for. Once Waco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 79th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Waco is one of the places where data scientists gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Waco
A median home in Waco, TX costs $256,772 — about 2.8× 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 $1,404/mo works out at 19% 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 Waco.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Waco | Rent vs Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $171,800 | +89% | 2.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $163,430 | +80% | 2.3× |
| Seattle, WA | $135,610 | +49% | 1.6× |
| Washington, DC | $135,080 | +48% | 1.7× |
Same job elsewhere in TX
| Metro | Median pay | vs Waco | Rent vs Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $111,760 | +23% | 1.2× |
| Dallas, TX | $108,870 | +20% | 1.2× |
| San Antonio, TX | $106,250 | +17% | 1× |
| Amarillo, TX | $101,880 | +12% | 0.9× |
Staying in TX keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Waco
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.