AI Data Scientist.
Raleigh.
$115,000
median salary, 2% above the national average
$80,000 to $165,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median AI Data Scientist salary in Raleigh is $115,000, 2% above the national average. Entry level starts near $80,000. Experienced professionals push past $165,000. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for AI Data Scientist in Raleigh, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $120,710 for Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, based on 1,990 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$72,190
25th percentile
$85,220
Median
$120,710
75th percentile
$145,500
90th percentile
$180,850
Workers surveyed
1,990
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) rather than AI Data Scientist specifically. The Raleighrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-2051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $103,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$75,000
to $92,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$98,000
to $121,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$127,000
to $150,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$144,000
to $178,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $54,000 to the total package.
Base
$115,000
Equity
$33,000
Bonus
$14,000
Signing
$7,000
Estimated total: $169,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$115,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$113,000
Raleigh is $2,000 above
AI Data Scientist salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate an AI Data Scientist offer in Raleigh, understand the terrain. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. AI data scientists who combine statistical modeling with production ML deployment earn the highest salaries. Industry sector matters significantly, with finance and healthcare paying 15 to 25% above retail or media. Proficiency in both Python and cloud ML platforms like SageMaker or Vertex AI is increasingly expected and adds 10 to 15% to offers.
Junior AI data scientists earn $115,000 to $135,000 with a master's degree. Mid-level scientists with 3 to 5 years reach $152,000 to $198,000. Senior data scientists earn $200,000 to $260,000, while principal scientists and directors of data science can command $280,000 to $380,000. In Raleigh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation at tech companies includes RSUs worth 15 to 30% of base salary and annual bonuses of 10 to 20%. Financial services firms substitute higher cash bonuses of 25 to 50% in lieu of equity, making total compensation comparable. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $115,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for AI Data Scientists in Raleigh runs from $80,000 to $165,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Deep Learning Engineer in Raleigh earns $116,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Raleigh is CTO at $291,000
- See all ai research roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
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