15 Series · SOC 15-1221
Computer and Information Research Scientists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $140,300
- Median / year
- -0.4%
- 2024→2025
- $230,630
- Top 10% earn
- +19.7%
- Growth '24–'34
- 37,200
- Estimated US jobs
Computer and Information Research Scientists earn a median of $140,300 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $140,300, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $82,200 (10th percentile) to $230,630 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 37,200 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Oregon ($206,220).
The pay verdict
Computer and Information Research Scientists earn a median of $140,300, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 94% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Computer and Mathematical, it ranks #1 of 21 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 19.7% by 2034.
- $140,300
- Median annual wage
- Top 6%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #1 of 21
- in Computer and Mathematical
- 2.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Oregon at $206,220. Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Computer and Information Research Scientists moved from $122,840 in May 2019 to $140,300 in May 2025 (+14.2%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Computer and Information Research Scientists sits -10.2 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) has a national median of $140,300 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $82,200 to $230,630, and the published mean is $153,930. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 37,200 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 35 state or territory areas and 72 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $140,910 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $140,300 in May 2025, a fall of $610 (-0.4%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +19.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as much faster than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 3,200 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Computer and Mathematical Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Oregon pays the highest state median at $206,220, which is +47% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $218,420. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$140,300
per year
Median Hourly
$67.45/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$153,930
average
Employment
37,200
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Computer and Information Research Scientists pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$140,300 Top 6% higher than 94% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 (this entry) | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$140,300 · 94th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 15-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Computer and Information Research Scientists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Software Developers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 15.8%, Median annual wage $135980
- Computer User Suppor…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.7%, Median annual wage $61860
- Computer Systems Ana…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $105850
- Computer Occupations…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.2%, Median annual wage $116580
- Network and Computer…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -4.2%, Median annual wage $99130
- Data Scientists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 33.5%, Median annual wage $120230
- Information Security…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 28.5%, Median annual wage $129180
- Software Quality Ass…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 10%, Median annual wage $104300
- Computer Network Arc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.9%, Median annual wage $134050
- Computer Network Sup…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $76220
- Web and Digital Inte…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7%, Median annual wage $104000
- Operations Research …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 21.5%, Median annual wage $88940
- Computer Programmers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6%, Median annual wage $100390
- Web Developers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.5%, Median annual wage $92650
- Database Administrat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.7%, Median annual wage $104620
- Database Architects: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $139500
- Computer and Informa…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 19.7%, Median annual wage $140300
- Statisticians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $105650
- Actuaries: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 21.8%, Median annual wage $130000
- Mathematical Science…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $81490
- Mathematicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.7%, Median annual wage $126710
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+19.7%
Much faster than average
Annual Openings
3,200
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+7,900
40,300 (2024) → 48,300 (2034)
Typical Education
Master's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Computer and Mathematical Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.2/100
Danger Index
1/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Computer and Information Research Scientists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Analyze problems to develop solutions involving computer hardware and software.
- ▸ Apply theoretical expertise and innovation to create or apply new technology, such as adapting principles for applying computers to new uses.
- ▸ Assign or schedule tasks to meet work priorities and goals.
- ▸ Maintain network hardware and software, direct network security measures, and monitor networks to ensure availability to system users.
- ▸ Meet with managers, vendors, and others to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
- ▸ Design computers and the software that runs them.
- ▸ Conduct logical analyses of business, scientific, engineering, and other technical problems, formulating mathematical models of problems for solution by computers.
- ▸ Evaluate project plans and proposals to assess feasibility issues.
- ▸ Participate in multidisciplinary projects in areas such as virtual reality, human-computer interaction, or robotics.
- ▸ Consult with users, management, vendors, and technicians to determine computing needs and system requirements.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Computer and Information Research Scientists pay history, 2019–2025
Published national median across 7 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $122,840 |
| 2020 | $126,830 |
| 2021 | $131,490 |
| 2022 | $136,620 |
| 2023 | $145,080 |
| 2024 | $140,910 |
| 2025 | $140,300 |
2019 median
$122,840
2025 median
$140,300
2019–2025 change
+$17,460 (+14.2%)
Avg/year
+2.2%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2019 | $122,840 | First banked release | 30,780 |
| May 2020 | $126,830 | +3.2% | 30,220 |
| May 2021 | $131,490 | +3.7% | 30,840 |
| May 2022 | $136,620 | +3.9% | 33,780 |
| May 2023 | $145,080 | +6.2% | 35,210 |
| May 2024 | $140,910 | -2.9% | 38,480 |
| May 2025 | $140,300 | -0.4% | 37,200 |
Across the 7 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $122,840 in May 2019 to $140,300 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.2% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 30,780 in May 2019 to 37,200 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 35 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $206,220 | +47% above national |
| 2 | Washington | $202,400 | +44% above national |
| 3 | New York | $181,990 | +30% above national |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $170,510 | +22% above national |
| 5 | New Mexico | $165,690 | +18% above national |
| 6 | California | $159,100 | +13% above national |
| 7 | Virginia | $157,390 | +12% above national |
| 8 | Maryland | $145,310 | +4% above national |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $144,190 | +3% above national |
| 10 | New Jersey | $140,840 | same as national |
| 11 | Illinois | $136,540 | 3% below national |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $136,160 | 3% below national |
| 13 | Minnesota | $135,850 | 3% below national |
| 14 | Ohio | $135,510 | 3% below national |
| 15 | Hawaii | $134,350 | 4% below national |
| 16 | Nevada | $134,310 | 4% below national |
| 17 | Colorado | $133,160 | 5% below national |
| 18 | Connecticut | $131,650 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $130,300 | 7% below national |
| 20 | Arizona | $129,760 | 8% below national |
| 21 | North Carolina | $128,370 | 9% below national |
| 22 | Missouri | $127,820 | 9% below national |
| 23 | South Carolina | $126,980 | 9% below national |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $121,470 | 13% below national |
| 25 | Texas | $121,210 | 14% below national |
| 26 | Florida | $119,810 | 15% below national |
| 27 | Alabama | $117,870 | 16% below national |
| 28 | Louisiana | $115,210 | 18% below national |
| 29 | Mississippi | $109,050 | 22% below national |
| 30 | Tennessee | $108,830 | 22% below national |
| 31 | Utah | $94,700 | 33% below national |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $93,100 | 34% below national |
| 33 | Georgia | $92,250 | 34% below national |
| 34 | Indiana | $85,460 | 39% below national |
| 35 | Michigan | $82,590 | 41% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 70 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $218,420 | +56% above national |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $211,270 | +51% above national |
| 3 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $206,220 | +47% above national |
| 4 | Rochester, NY | $204,340 | +46% above national |
| 5 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $181,990 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $171,880 | +23% above national |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $171,440 | +22% above national |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $170,890 | +22% above national |
| 9 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $170,850 | +22% above national |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $170,510 | +22% above national |
| 11 | Boulder, CO | $169,400 | +21% above national |
| 12 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $166,800 | +19% above national |
| 13 | Albuquerque, NM | $165,690 | +18% above national |
| 14 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $164,460 | +17% above national |
| 15 | Richmond, VA | $162,910 | +16% above national |
| 16 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $161,090 | +15% above national |
| 17 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $156,750 | +12% above national |
| 18 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $155,960 | +11% above national |
| 19 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $155,910 | +11% above national |
| 20 | Ann Arbor, MI | $151,110 | +8% above national |
| 21 | Charlottesville, VA | $144,580 | +3% above national |
| 22 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $142,660 | +2% above national |
| 23 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $140,190 | same as national |
| 24 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $139,210 | 1% below national |
| 25 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $137,330 | 2% below national |
| 26 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $137,300 | 2% below national |
| 27 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $136,990 | 2% below national |
| 28 | Jacksonville, FL | $136,990 | 2% below national |
| 29 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $136,720 | 3% below national |
| 30 | Lexington Park, MD | $136,660 | 3% below national |
| 31 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $135,880 | 3% below national |
| 32 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $135,630 | 3% below national |
| 33 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $134,050 | 4% below national |
| 34 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $133,970 | 5% below national |
| 35 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $132,870 | 5% below national |
| 36 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $132,680 | 5% below national |
| 37 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $131,650 | 6% below national |
| 38 | Pittsburgh, PA | $130,300 | 7% below national |
| 39 | Binghamton, NY | $129,420 | 8% below national |
| 40 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $128,370 | 9% below national |
| 41 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $127,360 | 9% below national |
| 42 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $126,860 | 10% below national |
| 43 | Cleveland, OH | $126,860 | 10% below national |
| 44 | Utica-Rome, NY | $125,720 | 10% below national |
| 45 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $125,320 | 11% below national |
| 46 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $123,390 | 12% below national |
| 47 | Huntsville, AL | $122,200 | 13% below national |
| 48 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $121,780 | 13% below national |
| 49 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $121,530 | 13% below national |
| 50 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $116,650 | 17% below national |
| 51 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $116,470 | 17% below national |
| 52 | Las Cruces, NM | $115,610 | 18% below national |
| 53 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $112,050 | 20% below national |
| 54 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $111,090 | 21% below national |
| 55 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $109,660 | 22% below national |
| 56 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $109,550 | 22% below national |
| 57 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $108,990 | 22% below national |
| 58 | Colorado Springs, CO | $107,090 | 24% below national |
| 59 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $105,660 | 25% below national |
| 60 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $104,670 | 25% below national |
| 61 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $102,630 | 27% below national |
| 62 | Ogden, UT | $96,740 | 31% below national |
| 63 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $96,450 | 31% below national |
| 64 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $94,700 | 33% below national |
| 65 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $94,220 | 33% below national |
| 66 | Oklahoma City, OK | $93,100 | 34% below national |
| 67 | Warner Robins, GA | $89,500 | 36% below national |
| 68 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $86,800 | 38% below national |
| 69 | Tucson, AZ | $79,580 | 43% below national |
| 70 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $66,700 | 52% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 15 (Computer and Mathematical Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Actuaries
SOC 15-2011
Computer Network Architects
SOC 15-1241
Computer Network Support Specialists
SOC 15-1231
Computer Occupations, All Other
SOC 15-1299
Computer Programmers
SOC 15-1251
Showing 5 of 20 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Computer and Mathematical Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($140,300 here) and reported employment (37,200 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Computer and Information Research Scientists make? ▼
Where does Computer and Information Research Scientists pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Computer and Information Research Scientists the most? ▼
What education do Computer and Information Research Scientists need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Computer and Information Research Scientists? ▼
Is Computer and Information Research Scientists a good career? ▼
How does Computer and Information Research Scientists pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Computer and Information Research Scientists? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Computer and Information Research Scientists pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $188,700/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Oregon leads at $206,220/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.