Data Scientists Salaries in Pasadena, TX
Average Base Pay
$120,840/yr
10% above national average
Monthly
$10,070
Hourly
$58
Cost Index
81
Data Scientists in Pasadena, TX earn an average of $120,840 per year, with most salaries falling between $96,672 and $145,008 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 10% above the national average, Pasadena ranks among the higher-paying markets for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 81. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Pasadena.
Salary Range
The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.
Low
Median
High
About Data Scientists
Data Scientists extract actionable insights from large, complex datasets by applying statistical analysis, machine learning, and domain expertise. They work at the intersection of mathematics, programming, and business strategy, helping organizations make evidence-based decisions. The role begins with data acquisition and cleaning—often the most time-consuming phase—followed by exploratory analysis to identify patterns and anomalies. Data Scientists then formulate hypotheses, select appropriate modeling techniques, and build predictive or descriptive models. These models must be validated rigorously against holdout data and evaluated using relevant metrics before being communicated to stakeholders or deployed into production systems. Effective data scientists are strong communicators who can translate complex findings into clear narratives for non-technical audiences. They use visualization tools to make data compelling and accessible. In applied roles, they deploy models into production, monitor model drift, and retrain as data distributions change. Research-oriented data scientists may publish findings or experiment with cutting-edge techniques from academia. The field requires deep statistical knowledge—probability theory, regression, classification, clustering, time series analysis—alongside engineering skills to handle data pipelines and compute infrastructure. Data Scientists work closely with data engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders, and must balance scientific rigor with practical delivery timelines.
What Data Scientists Do
- Collect, clean, and preprocess structured and unstructured datasets
- Perform exploratory data analysis to uncover trends and relationships
- Build, tune, and validate machine learning and statistical models
- Communicate findings through reports, dashboards, and presentations
- Collaborate with engineering teams to deploy models into production
- Monitor model performance and retrain on updated data as needed
- Define metrics and KPIs in collaboration with business stakeholders
- Design and analyze A/B experiments to evaluate product changes
Key Skills & Qualifications
- Python or R for data analysis and modeling
- Machine learning frameworks such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, or PyTorch
- SQL and experience with large-scale data warehouses
- Statistical knowledge including regression, classification, and hypothesis testing
- Data visualization with tools like Tableau, Matplotlib, or Seaborn
- Experience with cloud platforms and distributed computing (Spark, BigQuery)
- Strong written and verbal communication for presenting to stakeholders
- Familiarity with experiment design and causal inference
Career Path
- Data Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Senior Data Scientist
- Principal Data Scientist / ML Research Scientist
- Director of Data Science
Data Scientists Market in Pasadena, TX
Salary Competitiveness
Pasadena is one of the stronger-paying markets for Data Scientists, with local salaries running approximately 10% above the national median. This premium typically reflects a combination of higher employer competition, concentrated industry presence, and elevated cost expectations built into local compensation norms.
Cost of Living Impact
Pasadena's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 29% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.
Effective Purchasing Power
After adjusting for local taxes and cost of living, a Data Scientists earning $120,840 in Pasadena reaches a strong purchasing-power position. The effective standard of living this income supports is materially higher than the gross number alone implies—a useful data point for professionals comparing offers across metro areas.
vs. National Avg
+10%
Cost Pressure
29%
Purchasing Power
Strong
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.
Annual Net
$88,213
Monthly
$7,351
Weekly
$1,696
Eff. Tax Rate
27%
A gross salary of $120,840 for a Data Scientists in Pasadena translates to roughly $7,351 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,163—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $5,188 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Pasadena's current market.
How far does this salary go in Pasadena?
Cost of Living in Pasadena
Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Pasadena, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.
Cost Index
81
Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).
Financial Reality Check
This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Pasadena to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.
Monthly Take-Home
$7,351
Living Costs
$2,163
Disposable
$5,188
Cost Index
81
Lifestyle
Comfortable
With a monthly take-home of $7,351, your estimated living costs in Pasadena are $2,163 ($25,956/yr). This leaves $5,188 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Pasadena's cost of living is 19% below the national average.
Overall, a Data Scientists earning $120,840 in Pasadena falls into a comfortable lifestyle tier and has meaningful room to save, invest, and absorb unexpected expenses without financial stress. With a cost index of 81, Pasadena is 19% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Pasadena continue to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare Instantly
See how Data Scientists salary in Pasadena stacks up against other cities.
- vs. San Jose, CA
$173,160/yr+$52,320
vs Pasadena - vs. New Orleans, LA
$69,990/yr$50,850
vs Pasadena - vs. San Francisco, CA
$166,300/yr+$45,460
vs Pasadena - vs. Tulsa, OK
$80,950/yr$39,890
vs Pasadena
Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score
Compare Cities
Same role, different locations
Related Jobs in Pasadena
Other roles in the same area
City Rankings for Data Scientists
Share this salary
Gross Salary
$120,840/yr
Take-home
$7,351/mo
Disposable
$5,188/mo
Lifestyle
Comfortable
Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data
Pasadena City Overview
COL index, rent benchmarks, top jobs, and affordability score.
Explore Pasadena →Explore More Salary Data
Related pages — all links are live salary pages
Data Scientists in Other Cities
- Green Bay, WI$96,173
- Meridian, ID$103,170
- Jersey City, NJ$119,603
- Anaheim, CA$124,270
- Newark, NJ$119,603
- San Jose, CA$173,160
- Greensboro, NC$95,504
- Denver, CO$105,380
- Costa Mesa, CA$124,270
- Redmond, WA$157,290
- Temecula, CA$124,270
- Paterson, NJ$119,603
- San Francisco, CA$166,300
- Fairbanks, AK$110,231
- Youngstown, OH$91,487
- Chandler, AZ$110,231
- Naples, FL$126,297
- Lynn, MA$131,830
- Fremont, CA$124,270
- Modesto, CA$106,884
Other Jobs in Pasadena
- Fire Inspectors And Investigators$95,510
- Foresters$103,520
- Phlebotomists$56,870
- Motorboat Mechanics And Service Technicians$55,030
- Ushers$35,900
- Dental Hygienists$106,480
- Floor Layers$43,690
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$50,300
- Coaches And Scouts$47,230
- Claims Adjusters$89,730
- Agricultural Workers$46,870
- Furniture Finishers$45,000
- Commercial Pilots$177,300
- Occupational Health And Safety Specialists$98,720
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers$59,660
- Carpenters$73,840
- Computer$47,650
- Firstline Supervisors Of Nonretail Sales Workers$77,260
- Athletic Trainers$70,080
- Air Traffic Controllers$182,890
Top Salary Comparisons
vs. Pasadena
- Kent, WA+$36,450
- Tulsa, OK-$39,890
- Sitka, AK-$34,720
- Redmond, WA+$36,450
- Rio Rancho, NM-$35,150
- Everett, WA+$36,450
- Federal Way, WA+$36,450
- Oklahoma City, OK-$35,370
- Laredo, TX-$29,353
- Topeka, KS-$30,691
Highest-Paying Markets
Cities where Data Scientists pays most
- San Jose, CA$173,160
- San Francisco, CA$166,300
- Bellevue, WA$157,290
- Redmond, WA$157,290
- Kirkland, WA$157,290
- Seattle, WA$157,290
- Renton, WA$157,290
- Everett, WA$157,290
Most Affordable Markets
Cities with lowest cost of living
- Toledo, OH$90,149
- Brownsville, TX$90,149
- Mcallen, TX$102,198
- Topeka, KS$90,149
- Clovis, NM$85,690
- Gulfport, MS$94,165
- Wichita Falls, TX$90,818
- Canton, OH$90,818
Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.