Is Data Science a Good Career in Virginia?

Virginia · 2026 BLS salary data

Data Science pay in Virginia

The median wage is $126,430/yr — 5% above the national median. Among U.S. states, Virginiaranks #10 of 49 states by median pay.

The numbers in Virginia

Real BLS state-level figures for Data Science.

Median salary: $126,430/yr
Pay range (25th–75th): $97,390 – $165,610
National median: $120,230/yr
Employed in Virginia: 8,920

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.

What that pay is really worth in Virginia

Salary alone can mislead — Virginia costs 1% more than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100): 101.1
Nominal median: $126,430
Adjusted for cost of living: ≈ $125,054
State income tax: Up to 5.75%

Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, US=100), 2024. Adjusted pay = nominal median ÷ (RPP/100) — purchasing power vs the U.S. average. State income tax = top marginal rate on wage income (Tax Foundation, 2025); your effective rate is lower and depends on income and deductions.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Data Science nationally — Virginia pay is 5% above the national median. See the full Data Science career guide →

The verdict

Yes — data science has the highest projected growth in this set and pays very well. But the bar is high: strong stats, coding, and often a quantitative degree, and 'entry-level' roles are competitive.

Worth it If you have strong quantitative and coding skills (or will build them)
Worth it If you want high pay in the fastest-growing field here
Not worth it If you dislike math/statistics or want an easy entry

Pros & cons

Pros

Highest projected growth of any career in this set
Very high, well-above-median pay
Remote-friendly, demand across every industry
Intellectually rich (stats, ML, business impact)
Strong path into ML engineering and leadership

Cons

High skill bar: statistics, coding, ML
Often expects a quantitative degree
'Entry-level' roles are competitive
Role definitions vary wildly between companies
A lot of the job is data cleaning, not modeling

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

Quantitatively strong, analytical people
Those who enjoy coding and statistics
Anyone targeting high pay in a booming field

✗ Probably not if…

People who dislike math and programming
Those wanting a low-barrier entry

What people are actually asking

Real Reddit discussions on whether Data Science is worth it — titles link to the original threads.