Hiring a computer and information research scientist in Cleveland, OH

Do Cleveland residents in computer and mathematical work earn more than employers in the Cleveland, OH area pay?

Cleveland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations earn a median of $70,527 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $101,710 as the median of the 18 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Cleveland, OH area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 31%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole computer and mathematical group, not this one role. In the Cleveland, OH area the group covers 18 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from computer user support specialists at $59,890 to computer network architects at $128,800 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with computer and information research scientists at $126,860 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 18 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Cleveland residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Cleveland?

This is a job zone five: extensive preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). O*NET OnLine, SOC 15-1221.

That matters here, because 21.3% of Cleveland adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a thin local pool for a degree-requiring role, so expect to recruit across the metro rather than inside the city. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Cleveland aged 25 and over.

The average Cleveland commute runs 22.9 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 10.1% of Cleveland workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Cleveland.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Cuyahoga County, computer systems design and related services employs 13,808 and turns over 5.8% a quarter, with 1,191 hires against 1,189 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $10,575 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5415.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about computer and information research scientists. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $126,860 median in the Cleveland, OH area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $25,372 to $38,058 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a computer and information research scientist in Cleveland

What does it cost to hire a computer and information research scientist in Cleveland?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $126,860 median wage in the Cleveland, OH area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $25,372 to $38,058 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a computer and information research scientist in Cleveland look like?

Employers in the Cleveland, OH area pay computer and information research scientists a median of $126,860, with the middle half of the market between $95,620 and $164,690 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $95,620 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Cleveland residents in computer and mathematical work earn more than employers in the Cleveland, OH area pay?

Cleveland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations earn a median of $70,527 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $101,710 as the median of the 18 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Cleveland, OH area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 31%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Cleveland?

This is a job zone 5 occupation, which usually calls for a bachelor's degree, and 21.3% of Cleveland adults hold one or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501). That is a thin local pool, so expect the search to run across the metro rather than inside the city.

Related

• Hiring Computer and Information Research Scientists: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Cleveland
• Every Ohio city we cover

Cleveland is the 2nd largest of 4 Ohio cities in this dataset.