U.S. employment of data scientists is projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, adding 95,400 jobs as organizations handle more data and integrate artificial intelligence, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ new projections.
- Projected data scientist employment growth, 2025 to 2035
- 34.6%
- Additional data scientist jobs projected by 2035
- 95,400
- Projected data scientist employment in 2035
- 371,000
- Median annual wage in May 2025
- $120,230
Data science stands out in a slower labor market
The forecast was released on August 27, 2026, as the BLS projected total U.S. employment to rise 3.5% over the decade. Data scientists are an outlier inside that slower expansion. The agency’s detailed table puts the occupation’s growth at 34.6%, making it one of the ten fastest growing occupations in the country. The BLS fastest growing occupations table rounds that figure to 35%.
The BLS data scientist profile gives the underlying counts: about 275,600 jobs in 2025 and 371,000 in 2035, a net increase of 95,400. It also projects roughly 24,800 openings each year on average. BLS notes that many openings will replace people who leave the occupation or the labor force, so the annual figure is not the same as 24,800 newly created jobs.
AI is increasing the value of data work
BLS links the outlook to two changes that reinforce each other. Organizations are collecting more information and need people who can turn it into decisions. At the same time, firms are integrating AI based systems into everyday workflows. The agency says data scientists will help companies use those systems, improve processes, develop products and make decisions based on evidence.
An independent review by The Financial’s U.S. Business Desk on August 27 also identified data scientists as a 34.6% growth occupation and cited the BLS median annual wage of $120,230 in May 2025. That reporting supports the scale of the forecast, while the government profile supplies the detailed employment and openings estimates.
The forecast describes demand, not a guarantee
The numbers are projections, not a promise that every employer will hire at the same pace. BLS cautions that long range labor market estimates carry uncertainty and are most useful for showing direction and relative size. Its 35% figure should therefore be read as a strong signal about the occupation’s position, not a precise count of future vacancies.
For people weighing the field, the profile says data scientists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science or a related subject. It also emphasizes computer, analytical and communication skills. The near term hiring cycle may still move unevenly, but the latest federal outlook puts workers who can analyze data and help deploy AI among the clearest sources of projected U.S. job growth through 2035.
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 to 2035 employment projections is the source to consult for the underlying data, statement, ruling or live context.