What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Computer Scientist?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Computer Scientist jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Ackerman, MS (60.4% above average), followed by Hanley Hills, MO and Loyal, WI. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Ackerman, MS $178,586 $14,882 $3,434 $85.86 Hanley Hills, MO $140,602 $11,716 $2,703 $67.60 Loyal, WI $139,026 $11,585 $2,673 $66.84 Barrow, AK $138,708 $11,559 $2,667 $66.69 Nome, AK $138,120 $11,510 $2,656 $66.40 Ellendale, ND $136,689 $11,390 $2,628 $65.72 San Carlos, CA $134,445 $11,203 $2,585 $64.64 Sitka, AK $134,133 $11,177 $2,579 $64.49 South San Francisco, CA $133,799 $11,149 $2,573 $64.33 Holdrege, NE $133,374 $11,114 $2,564 $64.12

Computer Scientist

Computer Scientist Salary

Q: How much does a Computer Scientist make?

The average annual pay for a computer scientist in the United States is $111,343 a year — that works out to approximately $53.53 an hour. The middle 80% of Computer Scientists earn between $83,500 (10th percentile) and $137,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Computer Scientist Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Computer Scientist in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Data Science Engineer at $18,373 (16.5%) above Computer Scientist. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Data Science Engineer $129,716 $10,809 $2,494 $62.36 Experimental Physicist $120,105 $10,008 $2,309 $57.74 Remote Environmental Scientist $84,123 $7,010 $1,617 $40.44 Human Movement Science $44,245 $3,687 $850 $21.27 Biological Science Degree $41,285 $3,440 $793 $19.85

$50.5K

$116.5K

$137.5K

$111,343

/year

$53.53

/hour

Computer Scientist Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$111,343

Columbus

Ohio

$107,546

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How much does a Computer Scientist make?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average annual pay for a Computer Scientist in the United States is $111,343 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $53.53 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,141/week or $9,278/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $137,500 and as low as $50,500, the majority of Computer Scientist salaries currently range between $94,500 (25th percentile) to $137,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $137,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Computer Scientist varies greatly (by as much as 42500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Computer Scientist in your area makes on average $107,546 per year, or $3,797 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $111,343. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Computer Scientist salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Computer Scientist jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Computer Scientist on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Computer Scientist Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Computer Scientist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Ackerman, MS, , with Hanley Hills, MO, and Loyal, WI, close behind in the second and third positions. Loyal, WI, beats the national average by $27,683 (24.9%), and Ackerman, MS, furthers that trend with another $67,243 (60.4%) above the $111,343 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Computer Scientist appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Additionally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies as much as 28% between Ackerman, MS, and Holdrege, NE, , suggesting a strong potential for positive wage variance in a Computer Scientist role. Cost of living should also be factored in when balancing location and salary.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Ackerman, MS	$178,586	$14,882	$3,434	$85.86
Hanley Hills, MO	$140,602	$11,716	$2,703	$67.60
Loyal, WI	$139,026	$11,585	$2,673	$66.84
Barrow, AK	$138,708	$11,559	$2,667	$66.69
Nome, AK	$138,120	$11,510	$2,656	$66.40
Ellendale, ND	$136,689	$11,390	$2,628	$65.72
San Carlos, CA	$134,445	$11,203	$2,585	$64.64
Sitka, AK	$134,133	$11,177	$2,579	$64.49
South San Francisco, CA	$133,799	$11,149	$2,573	$64.33
Holdrege, NE	$133,374	$11,114	$2,564	$64.12

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Computer Scientist Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Computer Scientist category.

For example Data Science Engineer jobs pay as much as $18,373 (16.5%) more than the average Computer Scientist salary of $111,343. If you're qualified, finding work as a Data Science Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Computer Scientist position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Data Science Engineer	$129,716	$10,809	$2,494	$62.36
Experimental Physicist	$120,105	$10,008	$2,309	$57.74
Remote Environmental Scientist	$84,123	$7,010	$1,617	$40.44
Human Movement Science	$44,245	$3,687	$850	$21.27
Biological Science Degree	$41,285	$3,440	$793	$19.85

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Computer Scientist salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $111,343 per year or $53.53 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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