Data Visualization Salary

Data visualization is an area of data science where data analysts and other specialists create visual representations of data, like graphs or charts, making them easier to understand and more engaging. Data is an important tool for businesses to make smarter decisions, and companies are more reliant than ever on these insights to inform marketing strategy, product positioning, hiring practices, and more. 

As a data visualization specialist, you’ll help make data more accessible to your coworkers, other members of your team, and stakeholders like clients or company executives. In this role, you can also use data to help generate new ideas, illustrate how ideas could work, and demonstrate hierarchy and structures. 

With a growing emphasis on data-driven strategies across industries, the salary prospects and career growth opportunities for individuals in this field are promising. Explore how much you can expect to earn as a data visualization specialist or data visualization engineer, as well as how factors like where you live and your level of education impact how much you can earn. 

What is a data visualization specialist?

A data visualization professional uses tools and software to create visual components like graphs and charts from quantitative and qualitative data. Creating engaging visual graphics makes it easier to analyze and interpret data, gain insights, and understand its implications, even for those with less technical skills and knowledge. Statistical analysis and data interpretation are two important skills that can help you be successful in this role. The ability to tell engaging stories using data is also a critical skill for a data visualization specialist. 

Data visualization is closely related to other areas, such as data analytics or data science. Data scientists and other specialists use it in a range of industries, from business to IT and more. Data visualization differs from these fields because it focuses on creating visualizations from data, although many job roles in these career titles may overlap. 

Data visualization salary

The data visualization base salary in the United States ranges from $72,947 to $109,790, based on estimates from multiple career websites. You can explore how the data breaks down in the following chart [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]: 

*All salary data as of February 2025

Salaries for data visualization professionals can vary quite a bit based on several factors, including experience, industry, and geographic location. Typically, you can expect to earn a competitive salary that reflects the specialized skills and knowledge you bring to an organization.

Factors that affect data visualization salary

You can better estimate how much you could make as a data visualization specialist by examining how factors like education, experience, and job title impact average data visualization salaries. Explore these factors in greater detail: education, experience, industry, location, and job title. 

Education

Data visualization has applications in many different fields and for businesses, large and small, which means that the education requirements you’ll need to pursue will vary depending on what kind of data visualization specialist you plan to become. While a degree in fields such as data science or computer science is common, specialized training in data visualization tools and techniques can enhance earning potential. 

Experience

As with many tech-based roles, experience is a significant factor in determining salary levels. You'll often command higher salaries if you have extensive expertise and a proven track record of successful projects. Explore salary estimates based on experience from Payscale and Glassdoor: 

Industry

Various sectors may offer higher salaries due to the specialized application of data visualization skills or the critical nature of data insights for the business. Discover Glassdoor’s projections for how data visualization salaries can vary by industry [1]: 

• Legal: $73,981

• Aerospace and defense: $95,505

• Agriculture: $64,651

• Arts and entertainment: $69,725

• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology: $74,974

• Management and consulting: $84,119

• Construction: $69,433 

• Education: $76,489

• Financial services: $116,590

• Health care: $76,747

• Information technology: $88,541

Location

Geographic location greatly impacts salaries, with urban and tech-centric regions typically offering higher compensation. According to ZipRecruiter, the 10 highest-paying states for data visualization specialists are [2]: 

• Washington: $82,619

• New York: $79,806

• Massachusetts: $79,667

• Alaska: $78,560

• Vermont: $77,561

• North Dakota: $77,183

• Oregon: $77,126

• Colorado: $76,705

• Hawaii: $75,789

• Nevada: $74,282

At the other end of the spectrum, ZipRecruiter reports the 10 lowest-paying states for data visualization specialists as: 

• Tennessee: $66,208

• Alabama: $666,118

• Kansas: $65,057

• Michigan: $63,580

• Kentucky: $63,356

• Louisiana: $62,378

• Georgia: $61,595

• Arkansas: $60,320

• West Virginia: $56,473

• Florida: $54,512

Job title

Another factor that can influence your earning potential is your job title. Sometimes, you may find job titles with overlapping responsibilities but different average salaries. Explore similar job titles and their average salaries as reported by Talent [3]: 

• Data manager: $135,001

• Project manager: $100,000

• Research scientist: $100,017

• Data analyst: $82,977

• Research analyst: $74,893

• Research associate: $67,086

• Project coordinator: $54,943

• Research assistant: $42,164

• Data specialist: $41,936

Job outlook for data visualization engineers

Data visualization will continue to experience growth as the data that companies collect becomes ever more complex and essential for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors. This increasing demand and complexity will drive demand across several industries for professionals with data visualization skills. 

While the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not track data visualization specialists or engineers specifically, the organization does offer insight into the job outlook for data scientists. According to the BLS, data scientist jobs will grow 36 percent from 2023 to 2033 [6]. Globally, the market size for data visualization tools was $9.22 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a rate of 11.4 percent year over year through 2030 [7]. 

Boost your potential data visualization salary

Data visualization is a career of growing importance in a variety of industries. As you prepare to enter the field of data visualization, explore a range of courses and Specializations on Coursera that cover the foundational principles of data science, statistics, and graphic design, as well as advanced techniques in data visualization tools and software. 

Consider the Data Analysis and Visualization Foundations Specialization from IBM on Coursera. Building your skills through a set of comprehensive courses is a great way to creat your own path to a rewarding career in data visualization, with ample opportunities for both professional growth and competitive salaries.