Tech · Rankings

Best US Cities for Data Analysts

Top US cities for Data Analysts ranked by estimated median salary, with cost-of-living-adjusted earning power.

Top 10 cities by salary

#	City	Estimated salary	Cost mult.	vs national
1	San Francisco, CA	$116,300	1.45×	+$32,300
2	Irvine, CA	$108,700	1.30×	+$24,700
3	Oakland, CA	$106,200	1.35×	+$22,200
4	New York City, NY	$104,700	1.32×	+$20,700
5	San Diego, CA	$104,000	1.21×	+$20,000
6	Honolulu, HI	$103,800	1.30×	+$19,800
7	Seattle, WA	$102,500	1.18×	+$18,500
8	Chula Vista, CA	$100,900	1.15×	+$16,900
9	Los Angeles, CA	$99,900	1.22×	+$15,900
10	Boston, MA	$99,900	1.22×	+$15,900

All 50 cities, ranked

#	City	Salary	Hourly
1	San Francisco, CA	$116,300	$56/hr
2	Irvine, CA	$108,700	$52/hr
3	Oakland, CA	$106,200	$51/hr
4	New York City, NY	$104,700	$50/hr
5	San Diego, CA	$104,000	$50/hr
6	Honolulu, HI	$103,800	$50/hr
7	Seattle, WA	$102,500	$49/hr
8	Chula Vista, CA	$100,900	$49/hr
9	Los Angeles, CA	$99,900	$48/hr
10	Boston, MA	$99,900	$48/hr
11	Long Beach, CA	$97,800	$47/hr
12	Scottsdale, AZ	$97,800	$47/hr
13	Denver, CO	$97,300	$47/hr
14	Austin, TX	$95,800	$46/hr
15	Aurora, CO	$95,800	$46/hr
16	Chandler, AZ	$95,200	$46/hr
17	Gilbert, AZ	$94,200	$45/hr
18	Portland, OR	$93,900	$45/hr
19	Sacramento, CA	$93,900	$45/hr
20	Orlando, FL	$93,800	$45/hr
21	Yonkers, NY	$93,200	$45/hr
22	Raleigh, NC	$93,200	$45/hr
23	North Las Vegas, NV	$93,200	$45/hr
24	Boise, ID	$93,200	$45/hr
25	Anchorage, AK	$93,200	$45/hr
26	Colorado Springs, CO	$92,700	$45/hr
27	Madison, WI	$92,700	$45/hr
28	Anaheim, CA	$92,300	$44/hr
29	Mesa, AZ	$91,700	$44/hr
30	Baltimore, MD	$91,500	$44/hr
31	Frisco, TX	$91,500	$44/hr
32	Fort Worth, TX	$91,200	$44/hr
33	Tucson, AZ	$91,200	$44/hr
34	Albuquerque, NM	$90,100	$43/hr
35	Phoenix, AZ	$90,000	$43/hr
36	Philadelphia, PA	$90,000	$43/hr
37	Reno, NV	$90,000	$43/hr
38	Charleston, SC	$90,000	$43/hr
39	Salt Lake City, UT	$90,000	$43/hr
40	Miami, FL	$89,500	$43/hr
41	Virginia Beach, VA	$89,000	$43/hr
42	Worcester, MA	$89,000	$43/hr
43	Newark, NJ	$88,600	$43/hr
44	Riverside, CA	$88,600	$43/hr
45	Dallas, TX	$88,500	$43/hr
46	Houston, TX	$87,100	$42/hr
47	Chicago, IL	$86,300	$41/hr
48	Stockton, CA	$86,300	$41/hr
49	Hialeah, FL	$86,300	$41/hr
50	Las Vegas, NV	$85,800	$41/hr
51	Minneapolis, MN	$85,800	$41/hr
52	Plano, TX	$85,800	$41/hr
53	San Antonio, TX	$85,600	$41/hr
54	Columbus, OH	$85,100	$41/hr
55	Kansas City, MO	$85,100	$41/hr
56	Atlanta, GA	$84,900	$41/hr
57	Tampa, FL	$84,900	$41/hr
58	Henderson, NV	$84,900	$41/hr
59	El Paso, TX	$84,600	$41/hr
60	St. Louis, MO	$84,600	$41/hr
61	Winston-Salem, NC	$84,600	$41/hr
62	Wilmington, DE	$84,000	$40/hr
63	St. Paul, MN	$84,000	$40/hr
64	Chesapeake, VA	$84,000	$40/hr
65	Fresno, CA	$84,000	$40/hr
66	Memphis, TN	$83,600	$40/hr
67	Oklahoma City, OK	$83,600	$40/hr
68	Nashville, TN	$83,500	$40/hr
69	Bakersfield, CA	$83,500	$40/hr
70	St. Petersburg, FL	$83,500	$40/hr
71	Norfolk, VA	$83,100	$40/hr
72	Jacksonville, FL	$82,600	$40/hr
73	Charlotte, NC	$82,600	$40/hr
74	Wichita, KS	$82,200	$40/hr
75	Glendale, AZ	$82,200	$40/hr
76	Garland, TX	$82,200	$40/hr
77	Spokane, WA	$82,200	$40/hr
78	Mobile, AL	$82,200	$40/hr
79	Pittsburgh, PA	$81,700	$39/hr
80	Arlington, TX	$81,700	$39/hr
81	Tallahassee, FL	$81,700	$39/hr
82	Milwaukee, WI	$81,200	$39/hr
83	New Orleans, LA	$81,200	$39/hr
84	Grand Rapids, MI	$80,800	$39/hr
85	Detroit, MI	$80,300	$39/hr
86	Cincinnati, OH	$80,300	$39/hr
87	Lexington, KY	$80,300	$39/hr
88	Corpus Christi, TX	$80,300	$39/hr
89	Buffalo, NY	$80,300	$39/hr
90	Greensboro, NC	$80,300	$39/hr
91	Knoxville, TN	$80,300	$39/hr
92	Cleveland, OH	$79,800	$38/hr
93	Indianapolis, IN	$79,400	$38/hr
94	Louisville, KY	$79,400	$38/hr
95	Omaha, NE	$79,400	$38/hr
96	Lincoln, NE	$78,900	$38/hr
97	Birmingham, AL	$78,500	$38/hr
98	Toledo, OH	$78,500	$38/hr
99	Lubbock, TX	$78,500	$38/hr
100	Fort Wayne, IN	$77,500	$37/hr

Does location actually decide Data Analyst pay?

Data Analyst work is usually hybrid, so the metro you choose still largely determines what you earn. Pay ranges from $77,500 in Fort Wayne to $116,300 in San Francisco — a spread of 50%.

Highest-paying is not the same as best-off

The number that ranks these metros is not the number you live on. In San Francisco, $116,300 against $3,000/month rent leaves roughly $80,300 a year after housing. In Fort Wayne, $77,500 against $850 leaves about $67,300. The top still wins after rent, but by $13,000 rather than the $38,800 the headline suggests.

Why these metros and not others

The metros at the top are not simply the expensive ones; they are where the hiring is. San Francisco (Salesforce, Google); Irvine (University of California, Irvine, Broadcom); Oakland (Kaiser Permanente (HQ), Port of Oakland). Depth of demand for tech work is what lifts pay above the local baseline, and it is why two equally costly cities can pay this role differently.

Salaries are modelled from BLS national medians adjusted for local price level at a wage elasticity below 1 — pay rises with local costs but not proportionally. See our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which city pays Data Analysts the most?▾

San Francisco, at roughly $116,300. Rent there averages $3,000 a month for a one-bedroom, so about $36,000 of that salary goes to housing before anything else. The metros near the top combine high local costs with concentrated tech employment — the second part is what actually lifts pay above the local baseline.

Is the highest-paying city actually the best choice for a Data Analyst?▾

Rarely, once housing is subtracted. The list is sorted by gross pay because that is what job postings show, but the cost-adjusted figures are the ones that predict how the money feels month to month.

Can a Data Analyst earn big-city pay while living somewhere cheaper?▾

Sometimes — this role is usually hybrid, so it is possible in principle. It turns entirely on employer policy: some pay by role regardless of location, most use two to four geographic tiers, and some match the company's headquarters city. Ask which applies before assuming the arbitrage is available.