Computer and Information Research Scientists · SOC 15-1221

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Computer and Information Research Scientistss

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas

Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for computer and information research scientists. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked (4 such areas are excluded here). Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Top 25 of 70 metro areas

Computer and Information Research Scientists: metro areas with the highest published median annual wages, May 2025
#	Metro area	Median annual	Employment	Per 1,000 jobs
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$218,420	2,210	1.9
2	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$211,270	1,620	0.8
3	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$206,220	660	0.5
4	Rochester, NY	$204,340	50	0.1
5	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$181,990	200	0.4
6	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$171,880	70	0.3
7	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$171,440	1,670	0.7
8	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$170,890	2,100	0.2
9	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$170,850	60	0.2
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$170,510	1,620	0.6
11	Boulder, CO	$169,400	90	0.5
12	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$166,800	110	0.0
13	Albuquerque, NM	$165,690	220	0.5
14	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$164,460	160	0.1
15	Richmond, VA	$162,910	160	0.2
16	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$161,090	3,420	1.1
17	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$156,750	1,070	0.8
18	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$155,960	940	0.2
19	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$155,910	50	0.0
20	Ann Arbor, MI	$151,110	50	0.2
21	Charlottesville, VA	$144,580	40	0.4
22	St. Louis, MO-IL	$142,660	100	0.1
23	Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$140,190	290	1.7
24	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$139,210	140	0.1
25	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$137,330	150	0.1

Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Computer and Information Research Scientists overview.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.