Salary comparison

Data Scientists vs Computer Systems Analysts

Side-by-side H-1B prevailing-wage comparison using the same DOL LCA data that drives every page on H1B Report. Quartiles, hiring geography, top sponsors and yearly wage drift.

Summary

Computer Systems Analysts (SOC 15-1211) and Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) are both in-demand tech occupations for H-1B sponsorship, but they differ significantly in filing volume and compensation. Data Scientists attract substantially more H-1B petitions—213,508 filings compared to 121,469 for Systems Analysts—reflecting stronger employer demand for data science roles in recent years.

On prevailing wages, Data Scientists command higher compensation across all quartiles. The median (p50) wage for Data Scientists is $114,941 versus $100,000 for Systems Analysts—a $14,941 gap. At the 75th percentile, Data Scientists earn $145,000 compared to $120,000 for Systems Analysts. Systems Analysts show a lower entry point as well, with 25th percentile wages of $85,509 versus $90,200 for Data Scientists.

Both roles represent core IT specializations, with Data Scientists showing greater sponsorship activity and wage premium, while Systems Analysts remain a stable, established category with slightly lower competitive wages but still substantial H-1B petition volume.

Computer Systems Analysts vs Data Scientists
H-1B occupations comparison
Data Scientists prevailing wage
Systems Analysts H-1B filings
tech occupation salary comparison

Occupation A

Data Scientists

SOC 15-2051Rank #3

Occupation B

Computer Systems Analysts

SOC 15-1211Rank #5

Key metrics

Wage figures are offered annual wage; volume is total LCA count.

Metric	Data Scientists	Computer Systems Analysts
Median wage	$114,941▲	$100,000
P25 wage	$90,200▲	$85,509
P75 wage	$145,000▲	$120,000
Wage spread (P75 − P25)	$54,800	$34,491
Total filings	213,508▲	121,469
Wage samples	213,202	121,353
Rank	#3▲	#5

Median wage by year

Year-over-year drift of the typical offered wage.

Data Scientists

Computer Systems Analysts

Top 5 hiring states — Data Scientists

1CA43,941$142,122
2NY27,091$132,000
3TX25,149$102,690
4WA18,953$135,100
5IL10,447$100,000

Top 5 hiring states — Computer Systems Analysts

1TX19,885$99,258
2CA14,399$118,500
3NJ9,314$105,100
4IL7,304$92,061
5PA6,442$96,000

Top 5 sponsors — Data Scientists

Top 5 sponsors — Computer Systems Analysts

Swap an entity

Replace either occupation above without losing the comparison. 2-way for now; 3+ comparison coming soon.

Swap A: Data Scientists

Software Developers Computer Occupations, All Other Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Computer and Information Systems Managers

Swap B: Computer Systems Analysts

Software Developers Computer Occupations, All Other Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Computer and Information Systems Managers

Or browse the full occupation index.

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