Data Scientist Salary in Chicago

If you’re interested in becoming a data scientist, you’ll need to know a few things first.  Though every region is different, and salaries vary widely across the country, data scientists in Chicago can count themselves lucky.  The tech industry in Chicago is booming, and developers enjoy excellent salaries here. The Windy City offers superb job growth and some of the best paying data science jobs in the country.  Data scientist salaries in Chicago vary based on experience, but they often exceed $100,000. In this article, we’ll go over the average wages in Chicago for junior, senior, and data scientist interns.

What does a data scientist do?

Data scientists aren’t just ordinary developers.  While they’ll need to master many coding languages, their primary responsibility is to analyze data and manage databases.  Companies rely heavily on data scientists to work with enormous quantities of information. These professionals use machine learning tools and statistical analysis for tasks like data mining.

Data Scientist Intern Salary

Data scientist interns are typically college or coding bootcamp students, recent graduates, or people transitioning into a new career.  While many interns are exceptional at what they do, they’re still learning the ropes and getting used to the position. As a result, they typically don’t enjoy the salaries of their more experienced peers.  That said, a data scientist intern in Chicago can expect an impressive $50-60,000 per year.  Many internships don’t pay anything, so a career path offering interns a living salary in the city is an exciting prospect.

Entry Level and Junior Data Scientist Salary

Most businesses define an entry-level (or ‘junior’) data scientist as an individual with between one and five years of experience.  These candidates know how to do the job, but they don’t have enough experience to qualify for the highest-paying senior positions. College and coding bootcamp graduates make up the majority of entry-level positions in this field.

In Chicago, an entry-level data scientist earns $80-90,000 per year on average.  That’s an impressive starting salary for a junior position; the tech industry in the region tends to pay very well.  In addition to a high starting salary, many junior data scientists take home between $3-5,000 per year in bonuses as well.  Beginning salaries in this field can vary widely, usually bottoming out around $60,000.

Senior Data Scientist Salary

Senior data scientists typically have more than five years of experience in the industry.  Experience is valued highly in this field because of its highly technical and specialized requirements.  A company may have only one data scientist who manages its entire database operation, so experienced candidates are virtually made of gold.  Senior data scientists often manage both other employees and large-scale projects. Because of the sensitivity and importance of the work, senior positions in this field require candidates to demonstrate attention-to-detail, reliability, and trustworthiness.

In Chicago, senior data scientists often take home more than $100,000, with some earning north of $150,000.  With experience, this lucrative career boasts some of the best salaries in tech.  With a few years of experience, entry-level data scientists can expect exponential increases in pay.

How to Become a Data Scientist in Chicago

In the past, data scientists came from four-year universities with degrees in Computer Science or Statistics.  Today, short-term programs called coding bootcamps create ready-to-work data scientists.  They spend between three and eighteen months in these intensive coding classes where they learn all the skills they need step-by-step.  Unlike college, coding bootcamp doesn’t always require any tuition upfront. Along with scholarships, many coding bootcamps offer income sharing agreements to help defer tuition costs until the student lands a well-paying job in data science.  Coding bootcamps range in price and length, but Career Karma can help you learn more.