What the data says about data scientist pay in Denver
Here is how that number compares with the rest of the United States, with CO, and with other jobs in Denver.
Denver vs the national and CO picture
On a United States league table of 21 metros, Denver comes 16th. One place higher is Phoenix at US$114,540, one lower is Philadelphia at US$109,910, and San Jose tops the list.
With Denver as the sole CO entry for data scientists, the useful benchmarks are national: 16th of 21, -6% vs the median.
Is US$112,520 a good salary in Denver?
With a COL index of 100, there is little difference between headline pay and price-adjusted pay (US$112,500).
Adjusting for prices does not move Denver in the ranking: it is 16th of 21 on both cash and buying power.
Take-home on the median comes to roughly US$8,000 monthly (14% effective tax in our simplified model). Rent for a modeled 1-bedroom is 21% of it, and the single-adult budget ends about US$4,550 in the black.
Metros with a cost level like Denver
New York (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$135,980, 21% more than Denver; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,500 higher.
A data scientist moving from Denver to Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 15% to US$129,740, with US$1,110 more left over monthly in our model.
Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$107,640, 4% less than Denver; modeled monthly leftover is US$320 lower.
Where Data Scientist ranks among Denver jobs
Data Scientist ranks 5th of 9 occupations with observed Denver data. Lawyer leads the city at US$177,380.
Closest neighbours in the Denver list: Project Manager at US$116,740 (+4%) and Financial Analyst at US$104,480 (-7%).
Where Denver stands for junior and senior data scientists
Entry-level data scientists fare better here (8th of 21 at the 10th percentile, US$74,830) than senior ones (14th at the 90th, US$178,700).
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$282,840 at the 90th percentile, +58% against Denver.
How wide data scientist pay runs in Denver
Pay is spread out: US$74,830 at the 10th percentile to US$178,700 at the 90th (2.4×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.