Computer Scientists

Median Salary: $101,600

Many computer scientists across the U.S. share a number of important professional characteristics. For example, independence, adaptability/flexibility, and dependability can be crucial for success in the industry, especially when blended with career training. Around 26,130 individuals were employed as computer scientists nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's vital to develop these attributes and receive good training, particularly if you're ready to progress in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for computer scientists in the U.S. was $101,600 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $48.80. Of course, income can vary with training and by place. Below, you'll find more data about computer scientists, including wages and job density for metro areas all over the U.S..

Computer scientists should be skilled in:

Information Ordering
Written Comprehension
Oral Expression
Speech Clarity
Originality

Different individuals go into different careers; computer scientists are typically:

Investigative
Conventional
Artistic

Working as a computer scientist requires knowledge in subjects like:

Education and Training
Engineering and Technology
Administration and Management
Customer and Personal Service
Clerical

Related Occupations

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Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of individuals employed as computer scientists). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of computer scientists in each city as compared to the national average.

Alabama
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Huntsville	520	$101,000	$48.60	$115,200	$55.40	1163%

Arizona
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Phoenix	150	$116,100	$55.80	$134,900	$64.90	-58.5%

California
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Los Angeles (Area)	710	$122,900	$59.10	$144,600	$69.50	-49%
Oakland	100	$98,100	$47.20	$166,400+	$80.00+	-52%
Oxnard	190	$110,500	$53.10	$126,500	$60.80	222.5%
Sacramento	40	$125,800	$60.50	$146,800	$70.60	-77%
San Diego	760	$106,000	$50.90	$113,300	$54.50	196%
San Francisco (Area)	900	$106,900	$51.40	$166,400+	$80.00+	127%
San Francisco (City)	800	$115,600	$55.60	$135,700	$65.20	306.5%
San Jose	1,490	$133,600	$64.20	$153,200	$73.70	737%

Colorado
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boulder	130	$96,600	$46.40	$125,300	$60.20	312.5%
Colorado Springs	80	$111,500	$53.60	$129,100	$62.10	54.5%
Denver	140	$91,800	$44.20	$108,600	$52.20	-44.5%

Connecticut
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Hartford	80	$96,900	$46.60	$139,400	$67.00	-32.5%

District of Columbia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Washington (Area)	3,750	$106,400	$51.20	$132,700	$63.80	558%

Florida
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Fort Walton Beach	110	$81,100	$39.00	$95,400	$45.90	592%
Miami (Area)	140	$88,200	$42.40	$101,300	$48.70	-56%
Orlando	140	$79,900	$38.40	$96,100	$46.20	-29%
Palm Bay	NA	$80,700	$38.80	$99,900	$48.00	NA
Tampa	NA	$104,900	$50.40	$120,600	$58.00	NA

Georgia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Atlanta	450	$108,700	$52.30	$149,000	$71.70	-2%
Warner Robins	120	NA	NA	NA	NA	926%

Hawaii
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Honolulu	50	$91,800	$44.10	$119,300	$57.30	-40%

Illinois
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chicago (Area)	NA	$91,600	$44.00	$109,600	$52.70	NA

Indiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Indianapolis	70	$90,200	$43.40	$118,900	$57.20	-57%

Louisiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baton Rouge	190	$79,600	$38.30	$85,300	$41.00	166%

Maryland
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baltimore	350	$95,000	$45.70	$121,700	$58.50	38.5%

Massachusetts
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boston (Area)	NA	$116,600	$56.10	$140,800	$67.70	NA
Worcester	140	$98,100	$47.20	$112,600	$54.10	197%

Michigan
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Detroit (Area)	90	$93,500	$45.00	$113,300	$54.50	-56%

Minnesota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Minneapolis	210	$104,200	$50.10	$128,800	$61.90	-40%

Mississippi
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Gulfport	150	$74,400	$35.80	$89,200	$42.90	636.5%

Missouri
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Kansas City	NA	$66,400	$31.90	$77,300	$37.20	NA
St. Louis	50	$79,000	$38.00	$96,400	$46.40	-81.5%

Nebraska
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Omaha	40	$82,500	$39.70	$100,100	$48.10	-59%

New Jersey
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Trenton	NA	$93,600	$45.00	$132,600	$63.80	NA

New Mexico
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albuquerque	60	$84,600	$40.70	$103,700	$49.90	-20.5%
Las Cruces	60	$71,900	$34.60	$84,000	$40.40	369%

New York
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albany	160	$84,300	$40.50	$115,900	$55.70	83.5%
New York (Area)	1,250	$95,200	$45.80	$118,300	$56.90	20%

North Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Durham	190	$82,700	$39.80	$121,100	$58.20	244%
Raleigh	120	$94,300	$45.30	$105,000	$50.50	17.5%

Ohio
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Akron	NA	$85,900	$41.30	$108,700	$52.30	NA
Cincinnati	140	$109,700	$52.70	$118,500	$57.00	-27%
Cleveland	220	$103,500	$49.80	$121,600	$58.50	11.5%
Columbus	190	$95,700	$46.00	$114,700	$55.10	5.5%
Dayton	140	$95,700	$46.00	$112,700	$54.20	85.5%

Oklahoma
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Oklahoma City	90	$85,000	$40.90	$94,300	$45.30	-20%

Oregon
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Eugene	NA	$118,700	$57.10	$128,700	$61.90	NA
Portland	70	$99,800	$48.00	$116,900	$56.20	-66%

Pennsylvania
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Harrisburg	50	$97,000	$46.60	$112,500	$54.10	-25%
Philadelphia (Area)	500	$88,200	$42.40	$106,000	$51.00	20.5%
Pittsburgh	540	$67,300	$32.40	$85,600	$41.20	141%

Rhode Island
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Providence	340	$104,000	$50.00	$113,400	$54.50	208%

South Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charleston	160	$80,600	$38.80	$95,900	$46.10	176.5%
Columbia	NA	$121,800	$58.50	$130,800	$62.90	NA

Tennessee
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Knoxville	130	$84,400	$40.60	$100,400	$48.30	105%
Memphis	30	$94,600	$45.50	$115,600	$55.60	-74.5%

Texas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Austin	510	$123,100	$59.20	$147,200	$70.80	229.5%
Dallas (Area)	NA	$104,000	$50.00	$124,200	$59.70	NA
Houston	290	$108,400	$52.10	$132,700	$63.80	-44%
San Antonio	340	$88,400	$42.50	$103,600	$49.80	100.5%

Utah
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Ogden	120	$80,200	$38.60	$90,500	$43.50	217%
Provo	NA	$145,400	$69.90	$166,400+	$80.00+	NA
Salt Lake City	90	$64,900	$31.20	$91,200	$43.90	-26%

Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Blacksburg	140	$73,500	$35.30	$92,400	$44.40	999.5%
Richmond	140	$75,900	$36.50	$90,100	$43.30	19.5%
Virginia Beach	350	$82,300	$39.60	$99,500	$47.80	137.5%

Washington
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Seattle (Area)	1,270	$109,100	$52.50	$136,700	$65.70	353.5%

Wisconsin
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Milwaukee	60	NA	NA	NA	NA	-61%