Computer and Information Research Scientists in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Computer and Information Research Scientists pay in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA at a median of $112,050 per year ($53.87/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $140,300, the metro estimate is 20% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 350 computer and information research scientists are employed across the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA in SOC 15-1221.

The Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura pay distribution spans from $86,610 at the 10th percentile to $159,700 at the 90th, a 1.8× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $94,310 and the 75th at $134,870, so half of Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura-based computer and information research scientists earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide CA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.