Data Scientist Salary in Louisiana: $97K Median

The average Data Scientist salary in Louisiana is $97,218 per year as of April 2026. Salaries range from $61,002 (entry, 25th percentile) up to $165,681 (90th percentile). State income tax applies.

Data Scientists in Louisiana earn approximately 10% less than the US national median ($108,020 nationally vs $97,218 in Louisiana). Louisiana's cost-of-living index of 92 amplifies the real purchasing power.

Yes — Data Scientist salaries in Louisiana grew approximately 520.0% year-over-year, from $15,680 in 2025 to $97,218 in 2026. This reflects the broader Technology sector's wage growth, driven by LLMs and PyTorch demand.

Top-paying Louisiana metros for Data Scientists: New Orleans ($99K). Click any city for full breakdown including take-home pay.

Data scientist employment is projected to grow 36% through 2034 — one of the fastest-growing occupations. AI/ML adoption across industries is driving unprecedented demand. Louisiana's top industries include Energy/Petrochemicals, Tourism, Logistics (Port), and the state's unemployment rate is 4.4% — steady demand for skilled workers.

Yes, Louisiana has state income tax. This affects take-home pay — at $97,218, expect 4-7% effective state tax depending on filing status. See city pages for detailed take-home calculations.

Hottest 2026 skills: LLMs, PyTorch, MLOps, dbt, Snowflake, GenAI. ATS systems specifically scan for these. Adding them to your resume — naturally and in context — improves your match rate with Louisiana employers.

Based on levels.fyi data and what I'm seeing from comparable offers, total compensation for this level is closer to $X base plus equity. Can we close the gap on base or front-load the RSU grant? Beyond base, negotiate: Sign-on bonus ($25K-$100K is standard at Big Tech), RSU refreshers and accelerated vesting cliffs, Remote/hybrid flexibility and home-office stipend, Annual learning budget and conference allowance. Walk-away anchor for Louisiana: $84,537.