Dallas vs. Los Angeles
Data Scientists. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 15-2051
Fig. 1 — Side by side
Both distributions, one scale
10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
Table 1 — Adjusted
Los Angeles's median is 1.6% higher — but after local prices, the advantage flips: a median salary goes further in Dallas.
Dallas's median $127,750 buys $123,900 at national prices (price parity 103.1); Los Angeles's $129,740 buys $114,200 (113.6).
Table 2 — The figures
Point by point
Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Los Angeles against Dallas.
| Dallas | Los Angeles | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 10,120 | 9,850 | −2.7% |
| 10th percentile | $65,190 | $71,080 | +9.0% |
| 25th percentile | $90,510 | $91,350 | +0.9% |
| Median | $127,750 | $129,740 | +1.6% |
| 75th percentile | $146,750 | $168,420 | +14.8% |
| 90th percentile | $173,340 | $208,280 | +20.2% |
Sources
How this page was made
- Wage data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
- Price parity
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Full pages
- Data Scientists in Dallas · Data Scientists in Los Angeles
Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.