At a glance
The nominal median for Data Scientists is $135,980 in New York versus $132,040 in Boston, a gap of $3,940 a year.
After the BEA 2024 price adjustment the order flips and Boston leads: $121,959 versus $120,803, a gap of $1,156.
Published medians for the occupation, not an offer, take-home pay or a relocation recommendation.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Boston vs. New York: key measures
For the BLS Data Scientists classification, this comparison holds the occupation code constant between Boston and New York. It pairs reported wage percentiles with regional prices, metro rents and commuting context. The metrics are not job offers, apartment quotes or a complete household budget. The figures describe metropolitan statistical areas, not city limits.
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| Measure | Boston | New York |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $82,030 | $79,870 |
| 25th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $102,720 | $101,320 |
| Annual occupational median (BLS) | $132,040 | $135,980 |
| 75th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $166,120 | $173,160 |
| 90th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $206,220 | $216,030 |
| Price-adjusted median (site calculation) | $121,959 | $120,803 |
| All-items RPP (BEA) | 108.266 | 112.563 |
| Median gross rent / month (ACS) | $2,023 | $1,830 |
| 45+ minute commute share (ACS) | 23.5% | 32.4% |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes when location is considered?
New York leads on published nominal annual median pay by $3,940. Boston leads on the national-price-equivalent median by $1,156. The higher nominal wage reverses after the broad price adjustment.
These are different lenses: the nominal figures come from BLS, while the adjusted metric uses the 2024 BEA all-items regional price parity (108.3 for Boston versus 112.6 for New York). Neither is a prediction of an actual offer.
Boston has a higher metro-wide ACS monthly median gross rent by $193. The share of workers with one-way trips of at least 45 minutes is 8.9 percentage points higher in New York.
How Boston and New York rank for this occupation
Out of the 73 curated metros with a reported data scientists median, Boston ranks 10th on nominal median pay and 16th on price-adjusted pay. New York ranks 6th nominal and 18th adjusted. The middle adjusted median across all 73 metros is $108,019: Boston’s ($121,959) is 12.9% above that middle value and New York’s ($120,803) is 11.8% above it.
Ranks compare published medians for this one occupation. See all 73 metros for data scientists for the full list.
Pay at each percentile and how common the job is
After the BEA price adjustment, Boston is higher at 3 of the 5 published percentile levels and New York at 2. The 90th percentile is 2.5× the 10th in Boston and 2.7× in New York; the middle half of wages spans 48% of the median in Boston and 53% in New York.
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| Percentile | Boston adjusted | New York adjusted | Higher after adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $75,767 | $70,956 | Boston |
| 25th | $94,877 | $90,012 | Boston |
| 50th (median) | $121,959 | $120,803 | Boston |
| 75th | $153,437 | $153,834 | New York |
| 90th | $190,475 | $191,919 | New York |
Twelve months of median gross rent equals 18% of the data scientists median wage in Boston and 16% in New York (a lens, not a budget). BLS estimates 7,930 such workers in Boston and 23,160 in New York. Per 10,000 commuting workers that is 38.1 versus 29.3, ranking 9th and 15th of 73 metros (middle value 16.6). These are employment estimates, not open vacancies.
A role-specific offer checklist for this comparison
Match the actual work: Data science spans product analytics, modeling and research. Local medians mix employers and experience levels, so compare like-for-like job requirements as well as locations. Before treating the median difference as a personal salary difference, confirm that both positions share responsibilities, experience requirements and hours, and compare written offers with local rent quotes. The full checklist has the steps.
How reliable are the surrounding housing estimates?
These ACS medians are 2020–2024 five-year metro estimates with published margins of error. Household income covers households, not workers in this occupation.
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| ACS metro context | Boston | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent (± MOE) | $2,023 ± $11 | $1,830 ± $5 |
| Median household income (± MOE) | $115,863 ± $796 | $99,155 ± $487 |
Neither displayed rent nor income estimate crosses the site’s 30% relative-MOE caution threshold. Sampling uncertainty still applies. The 30% flag is our editorial rule, not a Census certification. See the methodology.
How should I use these figures for a relocation decision?
Start with written offers and real housing quotes, then enter them in the browser-only worksheet. Rent is already part of the price parity, so do not subtract it again from a price-adjusted salary. These comparisons are not placement, tax or financial advice.