An article published in Minnesota Business Magazine in 2014 reported on projections published by International Data Corporation showing that big data and analytics spending will rise from $10 billion in 2012 to $32 billion by 2017. This $22 billion increase is expected to create a large volume of high-salaried jobs in Minnesota and throughout the nation. Even as early as 2014, the United States Department of Labor began identifying great employment opportunities and high salaries for data science professionals in Minnesota.
Starting Salary Ranges for Data Scientist in Minnesota’s Major Cities
Data scientists are relocating to Minnesota in droves in order to capitalize on the wealth of high-salaried job prospects continually opening up here. In fact, Forbes recently ranked Minnesota as the #1 fastest growing state for tech jobs in 2015. With Fortune 500 companies like UnitedHealth, Target, CHS, U.S. Bancorp, 3M, and General Mills constantly searching for new tech talent, it’s easy to understand the state’s allure.
According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the state was also named the #6 top state for technology and innovation by CNBC in 2015 because:
- Global industry bigwigs like Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, Starkey laboratories, and Boston Scientific prosper here.
- The Mayo Clinic invested $648 million on research in 2014. It also employed 3,317 full-time research workers.
- Over 700 medical device companies dominate “Medical Alley,” making Minnesota home to the #2 biggest device industry in the United States.
- Minnesota was among the leading five states for renewable energy and clean technology.
- The University of Minnesota secured 138 new U.S. patents in 2014.
As an added attraction, even among other tech workers, data scientists are earning above-average salaries in Minnesota. The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) reported that tech companies in Minnesota created 5,5000 new jobs in 2015. These jobs offered an average annual salary of $93,500. Yet data scientists working in cities like Bloomington and Brooklyn Park receive average starting salaries between $111,000 and $160,000.
Even more impressively, salary survey results released by Dice.com revealed that the Twin Cities was the #7 highest-paying market for tech workers from 2015-2016.
The IT staffing agency Robert Half Technology calculated the following data science salaries in 2016 using information from job placements in recent years. Salaries are not adjusted for supplementary income from incentives and bonuses:
Minneapolis Region
- Minneapolis: $116,000-$163,000
- Bloomington: $115,000-$162,000
- St. Paul: $111,000-$157,000
- St. Cloud: $89,000-$126,000
- Rochester: $110,000-$155,000
Other Cities
- Duluth: $87,000-$122,000
- Brooklyn Park: $116,000-$163,000
- Eagan: $115,000-$162,000
- Thief River Falls: $83,000-$117,000
- Ely: $87,000-$122,000
Data Science Salaries by Industry and Role in Minnesota
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor released a breakdown of data science salaries in Minnesota according to industry and area of specialization:
Statistical Modeling
- $123,000
Computer and Information Research
- $187,200+
Operations Research
- $140,200
Financial Services
- $120,400
Public Health/Epidemiology
- $96,300
Salaries for Statistical Modeling Professionals in Minnesota’s Major Regions
According to OptiMine Software headquartered in Minneapolis, the company uses big data to perform omni-channel marketing analytics and optimization to enable marketers to maximize their return on investment (ROI) from advertising expenses.
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor reported that statistical modelers employed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area earned an average annual salary of $119,070.
Computer and Information Research Scientist Salaries in Minnesota’s Major Regions
In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies decided to expand its national big data philanthropic initiative, What Works Cities, to include St. Paul and thirteen additional cities. The $42 million project’s goal is to advance analytics and big data in the public sector.
In 2014, the United States Department of Labor found that data scientists working in the area of computer and information research in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington region received an average annual salary of $187,199*
*This value is equal to or greater than $90 per hour or $187,199 per year. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish salaries higher than these values.
Salaries for Data Scientists in Operations Research in Minnesota’s Major Regions
Salaries for data scientists in Minnesota working in the area of operations research as published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2014:
- Duluth – $96,900
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington – $141,520
- Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area – $132,100
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 90th percentile salaries to reflect the fact that data scientists are recognized as the top earners within each classification.