Data Scientists Salaries in Tulsa, OK
Average Base Pay
$80,950/yr
26% below national average
Monthly
$6,746
Hourly
$39
Cost Index
75
Data Scientists in Tulsa, OK earn an average of $80,950 per year, with most salaries falling between $64,760 and $97,140 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 26% below the national average, Tulsa offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 75. 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 Tulsa.
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 Tulsa, OK
Salary Competitiveness
Tulsa currently pays 26% below the national median for Data Scientists. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.
Cost of Living Impact
Tulsa's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 41% 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 $80,950 in Tulsa 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
-26%
Cost Pressure
41%
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
$59,094
Monthly
$4,925
Weekly
$1,136
Eff. Tax Rate
27%
A gross salary of $80,950 for a Data Scientists in Tulsa translates to roughly $4,925 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,003—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $2,922 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 Tulsa's current market.
How far does this salary go in Tulsa?
Cost of Living in Tulsa
Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Tulsa, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.
Cost Index
75
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 Tulsa to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.
Monthly Take-Home
$4,925
Living Costs
$2,003
Disposable
$2,922
Cost Index
75
Lifestyle
Comfortable
With a monthly take-home of $4,925, your estimated living costs in Tulsa are $2,003 ($24,036/yr). This leaves $2,922 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Tulsa's cost of living is 25% below the national average.
Overall, a Data Scientists earning $80,950 in Tulsa 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 75, Tulsa is 25% 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 Tulsa continue to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare Instantly
See how Data Scientists salary in Tulsa stacks up against other cities.
- vs. San Jose, CA
$173,160/yr+$92,210
vs Tulsa - vs. San Francisco, CA
$166,300/yr+$85,350
vs Tulsa - vs. Bellevue, WA
$157,290/yr+$76,340
vs Tulsa - vs. Redmond, WA
$157,290/yr+$76,340
vs Tulsa
Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score
Compare Cities
Same role, different locations
Related Jobs in Tulsa
Other roles in the same area
City Rankings for Data Scientists
Share this salary
Gross Salary
$80,950/yr
Take-home
$4,925/mo
Disposable
$2,922/mo
Lifestyle
Comfortable
Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data
Explore More Salary Data
Related pages — all links are live salary pages
Data Scientists in Other Cities
- Concord, CA$124,270
- Ocala, FL$102,198
- Alpharetta, GA$110,231
- Fort Collins, CO$112,909
- New Braunfels, TX$120,840
- San Antonio, TX$107,850
- Memphis, TN$101,760
- Chester, PA$102,198
- Albuquerque, NM$85,690
- Gastonia, NC$104,206
- Woonsocket, RI$111,570
- Los Angeles, CA$124,270
- Springfield, MO$91,487
- Fresno, CA$104,206
- Twin Falls, ID$100,859
- Lake Charles, LA$98,851
- Denver, CO$105,380
- Tuscaloosa, AL$96,843
- Hesperia, CA$124,270
- Goodyear, AZ$110,231
Other Jobs in Tulsa
- Butchers And Meat Cutters$34,750
- Jewelers And Precious Stone And Metal Workers$39,020
- Substitute Teachers$25,480
- Coaches And Scouts$41,220
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$80,010
- Speechlanguage Pathologists$85,860
- Elevator And Escalator Installers And Repairers$110,220
- Paving$49,790
- Aircraft Service Attendants$39,300
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$51,290
- Financial Examiners$73,800
- Education Teachers$69,530
- Claims Adjusters$65,960
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts And Testers$81,070
- Biological Science Teachers$79,190
- Merchandise Displayers And Window Trimmers$33,950
- Bus And Truck Mechanics And Diesel Engine Specialists$56,090
- Human Resources Managers$118,440
- Childcare Workers$27,200
- Concierges$33,790
Top Salary Comparisons
vs. Tulsa
- Everett, WA+$76,340
- Renton, WA+$76,340
- Hilo, HI+$57,397
- Federal Way, WA+$76,340
- Somerville, MA+$50,880
- Pearl City, HI+$57,397
- Cambridge, MA+$50,880
- Lynn, MA+$50,880
- Redmond, WA+$76,340
- Kent, WA+$76,340
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.