Data Scientist.
Charlotte.
$110,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$81,000 to $151,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Charlotte is 3% cheaper than the national average. For Data Scientists, that shakes out to a median of $110,000, with the full range spanning $81,000 to $151,000. Statistical depth, industry vertical, and the ability to translate models into business impact are the biggest levers. Know the range before you walk in. 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 Data Scientist in Charlotte, 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 $132,460 for Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, based on 4,420 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$70,790
25th percentile
$97,310
Median
$132,460
75th percentile
$165,470
90th percentile
$171,200
Workers surveyed
4,420
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 Data Scientist specifically. The Charlotterange 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 $99,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$72,000
to $88,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$94,000
to $116,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$121,000
to $143,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$138,000
to $171,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $50,000 to the total package.
Base
$110,000
Equity
$30,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$7,000
Estimated total: $160,000
Data Scientist salary by company.
Total compensation estimates include base, equity, bonus, and signing. Ranges reflect mid to senior level. Derived from public H-1B LCA filings (DOL).
How Charlotte compares.
Charlotte, NC
$110,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$113,000
Charlotte is $3,000 below
Data Scientist salary by city.
Salary by role in Charlotte.
What you should know.
The Data Scientist landscape in Charlotte is not what most salary sites will tell you. Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the U.S. after New York, with Bank of America and Truist headquartered here. The city's financial services dominance creates strong demand for finance, tech, and operations professionals. Rapid population growth has expanded the tech sector, with fintech and enterprise software companies establishing offices. Statistical depth, industry vertical, and the ability to translate models into business impact are the biggest levers. Data scientists who can deploy production ML models earn significantly more than those focused solely on analysis. Specialization in NLP, computer vision, or causal inference commands additional premiums.
Entry level data scientists with a master's degree start at $95,000 to $120,000. Mid level roles reach $130,000 to $170,000 after three years. Senior data scientists earn $170,000 to $220,000, while principal or staff level scientists at top firms exceed $250,000 in total compensation. In Charlotte, 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. Equity grants at tech companies add $20,000 to $100,000+ annually, especially at ML focused firms. Bonuses of 10 to 20% are standard. Some companies offer research stipends, conference travel budgets, and compute credits as additional perks. And on the tax side: north Carolina has a flat 4.5% state income tax. Charlotte has no city income tax. The moderate rate combined with low living costs makes net compensation very attractive. When someone quotes you $110,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against banking sector pay scales. Even non finance roles in Charlotte benefit from the high compensation standards set by major banks headquartered here. The range for Data Scientists in Charlotte runs from $81,000 to $151,000. 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 Data Analyst in Charlotte earns $111,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Charlotte is CTO at $303,000
Common questions.
Data Scientist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Charlotte.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Data Scientists in Charlotte.
Related tools.
Do you work as a data scientist in Charlotte?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools