AI Data Scientist.
Charlotte.
$110,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$76,000 to $157,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Charlotte is 3% cheaper than the national average. For AI Data Scientists, that shakes out to a median of $110,000, with the full range spanning $76,000 to $157,000. AI data scientists who combine statistical modeling with production ML deployment earn the highest salaries. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for AI Data Scientist in Charlotte, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $132,460 for Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, based on 4,420 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$70,790
25th percentile
$97,310
Median
$132,460
75th percentile
$165,470
90th percentile
$171,200
Workers surveyed
4,420
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) rather than AI Data Scientist specifically. The Charlotte range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-2051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $99,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$72,000
to $88,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$94,000
to $116,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$121,000
to $143,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$138,000
to $171,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $53,000 to the total package.
Base
$110,000
Equity
$32,000
Bonus
$14,000
Signing
$7,000
Estimated total: $163,000
How Charlotte compares.
Charlotte, NC
$110,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$113,000
Charlotte is $3,000 below
AI Data Scientist salary by city.
Salary by role in Charlotte.
What you should know.
The AI Data Scientist landscape in Charlotte is not what most salary sites will tell you. Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the U.S. after New York, with Bank of America and Truist headquartered here. The city's financial services dominance creates strong demand for finance, tech, and operations professionals. Rapid population growth has expanded the tech sector, with fintech and enterprise software companies establishing offices. AI data scientists who combine statistical modeling with production ML deployment earn the highest salaries. Industry sector matters significantly, with finance and healthcare paying 15 to 25% above retail or media. Proficiency in both Python and cloud ML platforms like SageMaker or Vertex AI is increasingly expected and adds 10 to 15% to offers.
Junior AI data scientists earn $115,000 to $135,000 with a master's degree. Mid-level scientists with 3 to 5 years reach $152,000 to $198,000. Senior data scientists earn $200,000 to $260,000, while principal scientists and directors of data science can command $280,000 to $380,000. In Charlotte, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation at tech companies includes RSUs worth 15 to 30% of base salary and annual bonuses of 10 to 20%. Financial services firms substitute higher cash bonuses of 25 to 50% in lieu of equity, making total compensation comparable. And on the tax side: north Carolina has a flat 4.5% state income tax. Charlotte has no city income tax. The moderate rate combined with low living costs makes net compensation very attractive. When someone quotes you $110,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against banking sector pay scales. Even non finance roles in Charlotte benefit from the high compensation standards set by major banks headquartered here. The range for AI Data Scientists in Charlotte runs from $76,000 to $157,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Data Analyst in Charlotte earns $111,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Charlotte is CTO at $303,000
- See all ai research roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
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Other salaries in Charlotte.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"AI Data Scientist Salary in Charlotte, NC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ai-data-scientist/charlotte
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