In 2014, the United States Department of Labor identified Rhode Island as a top-tier state in terms of employment opportunities and high salaries for data science professionals. In fact, data scientists working in operations research are named among Rhode Island’s 20 fastest growing occupations for the ten-year projection period from 2012 through 2022. Data scientists working in an operations research capacity are expected to experience a 31% job growth rate during this projection period.
DataFox, a data science consulting company, recently named Providence one of 2015’s “Best Cities to Found a Startup,” citing Rhode Island’s loan forgiveness program for tech entrepreneurs as a key reason for why the city made the list. In an environment where tech companies thrive, master’s-educated data scientists are in high demand and can expect strong starting salary offers as companies compete for top talent.
Starting Salary Ranges for Data Scientist in Rhode Island’s Major Cities
Providence is quickly defining itself as the tech mecca of Rhode Island. The city’s close proximity to Boston, as well as its reputation for academic excellence via Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) makes Providence the perfect place for young startups to thrive and more established entrepreneurs to invest. As a result, data scientists working here earn over $100,000 on average, and that’s just the start.
The business accelerator, Betaspring, is also located in Providence. Since its creation in 2009 Betaspring has catapult over 90 companies to success and raised roughly $65 million in follow-on funding, which continues to result in better access to high-paying jobs for data scientists in the area.
A huge stumbling block for emerging tech companies is finding a suitable workplace to congregate and develop ideas. In response, Providence offers the Hatch Entrepreneurial Center, which provides fledging businesses with WiFi access, 3,000 square feet of cooperative space, a video production facility, and projector-equipped conference rooms.
To help data scientists find the best salary prospects in the state, the Providence Business News published an exclusive list of the 2015 Best Places to Work. The list included several tech companies, such as Amgen, Mojo Tech, Swipely, and Atrion.
Of course, data scientists may also find high paying gigs with Rhode Island’s Fortune 500 companies. In 2015, CVS Health, Textron, and United Natural Food (UNFI) all ranked within the top 300.
In 2016, the IT staffing company Robert Half Technology appraised thousands of successful job placements in recent years to calculate the average starting salary ranges for data scientists practicing in Rhode Island’s major cities. The following salary statistics represent base pay amounts:
Providence Area
- Providence: $106,000-$149,000
- Warwick: $106,000-$149,000
- Cranston: $106,000-$149,000
- Pawtucket: $106,000-$149,000
- East Providence: $106,000-$149,000
Other Cities
- Ashaway: $108,000-$152,237
- Newport: $101,000-$142,000
- Woonsocket: $106,000-$149,000
Salaries by Industry for Rhode Island’s Data Scientists
In an effort to more clearly delineate data science salary expectations, the United States Department of Labor released the following salary information for Rhode Island’s data scientists working in several key industries (2014):
Statistical Modeling
- Mean: $77,670
- Median: $78,100
- 75th Percentile: $92,000
- 90th Percentile: $99,200
Computer and Information Research Science
- Mean: $109,260
- Median: $113,600
- 75th Percentile: $117,500
- 90th Percentile: $130,200
Operations Research
- Mean: $75,530
- Median: $65,200
- 75th Percentile: $98,100
- 90th Percentile: $136,300
Financial Services
- Mean: $74,070
- Median: $70,800
- 75th Percentile: $87,500
- 90th Percentile: $108,600
Statistical Modelers in Providence Enjoy Top Salaries
According to the United States Department of Labor, statistical modelers working in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA area earned an average annual salary of $78,640 as of 2014. A full analysis is shown below:
- Providence-Fall River-Warwick – $100,360
Regional Computer and Information Research Scientist Salaries in Rhode Island
The United States Department of Labor identified Rhode Island as having the third highest concentration of computer and information research scientist jobs nationwide as of 2014. At that time, the Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA was the biggest employment hub in the area for skilled professionals in the tech sector. Computer and information research scientists working in this metro area earned an average annual salary of $109,260. A full analysis is shown below:
[table_data table_data=’Area name,Employment,Hourly mean wage,Annual mean wage,Hourly median wage,Hourly 75th percentile wage,Hourly 90th percentile wage,Annual median wage,Annual 75th percentile wage,Annual 90th percentile wage
- Providence-Fall River-Warwick – $130,200
Salaries for Data Scientists in Operations Research Working in Rhode Island
Providence is home to major informatics and software development firms like Axiom Data Science, which continues to interpret and visually represent big data in creative ways to service clients in the private and public sectors. In 2014, the United States Department of Labor reported that the Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA district paid data scientists working in the area of operations research an average annual salary of $75,480. A full analysis is shown below:
- Providence-Fall River-Warwick – $135,660
The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics information shown here reflects salary data for broad occupational classifications that include data scientists. These estimates are expressed as the 90th percentile average to reflect the fact that data scientists are recognized as the top earners within each classification.