Data Scientist Salary in St. Louis, MO
Data Scientists in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn a median $99,600 a year — 17% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $75,155 take-home, or $6,263 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median data scientist salary in St. Louis, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$13,082
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,175
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,444
- Missouri income tax$3,744
- Take-home pay$75,155
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 4.70% state
Living in St. Louis? City residents also pay St. Louis’s Earnings Tax — about $996 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $74,159 ($6,180 a month). Choose “St. Louis” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri, Illinois. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Data Scientist pay by experience in St. Louis, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $59,500 | $28.61 | $48,129 | $4,011 |
| 25th percentile | $78,280 | $37.63 | $61,158 | $5,097 |
| Median (50th) | $99,600 | $47.88 | $75,155 | $6,263 |
| 75th percentile | $130,370 | $62.68 | $95,184 | $7,932 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $158,310 | $76.11 | $112,968 | $9,414 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $99,600 buys in St. Louis, MO
Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median data scientist's $75,155 take-home pay has the buying power of $79,037 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Data Scientist jobs are about as common in St. Louis, MO as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.17).
Best-paying cities for data scientists, adjusted for cost of living
St. Louis, MO ranks #20 of 23 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $164,740 | $123,866 | $111,457 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $185,080 | $122,415 | $110,860 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $127,360 | $98,317 | $100,256 |
| 4 | Charlotte, NC | $132,460 | $97,026 | $99,669 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $170,110 | $113,734 | $98,375 |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | $127,750 | $98,583 | $95,628 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $129,780 | $92,616 | $88,355 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $132,040 | $95,133 | $87,870 |
| 20 | St. Louis, MO | $99,600 | $75,155 | $79,037 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 23 metros →
About the job: data scientists
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +34.6% (much faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a data scientist make in St. Louis, MO?
The median data scientist salary in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area is $99,600 a year, or about $47.88 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $78,280 and $130,370.
What is a data scientist’s take-home pay in St. Louis, MO?
On the median $99,600 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $75,155 a year ($6,263 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,744 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to work as a data scientist?
Pay here is 17% below the national median of $120,230. Local prices are 4.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $79,037 would in a typical U.S. city. St. Louis, MO ranks #20 of 23 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a data scientist afford rent in St. Louis, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in St. Louis, MO is $989 a month ($1,211 for two bedrooms) — 16% of a median data scientist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in St. Louis, MO
- Software Developer — $129,030
- Computer Occupations, All Other — $108,450
- Computer Systems Analyst — $96,290
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator — $88,940
- Computer User Support Specialist — $60,940