🏆 2026 Job Rankings

Highest-Paying Tech Jobs in Idaho Falls, ID (2026)

If you are comparing highest-paying tech jobs in Idaho Falls, ID, this guide uses Careerclev salary benchmarks built from the latest official BLS wage baseline to focus on technology-heavy roles in the Idaho Falls, ID metro area. It is designed to show where the strongest projected tech pay sits, how quickly compensation falls after the leader, and which roles still have enough hiring depth to matter.

From the current ranking, Data Scientist leads at $182,566/year, while Software Developer stands out for employment depth at about 560 workers. That contrast helps you weigh pure pay against the size of the hiring market.

📅 Updated April 2026📊 Modeled salary benchmarks🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID · 12 jobs ranked⏱ 12 min read
1
Data Scientist
$183K est.
2
Computer and Information Research Scientist
$170K est.
3
Computer and Information Systems Manager
$159K est.
4
Computer Network Architect
$136K est.
5
Database Architect
$129K est.
#1 Job
Data Scientist
$183K
Jobs Ranked
12
top roles
Data Layer
Metro
Careerclev salary model
Top Employment
220
employment estimate
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Highest-Paying Tech Jobs in Idaho Falls, ID: Full Ranking

If you're targeting high-paying jobs in Idaho Falls, ID, Data Scientist sits at the top of this 12-job ranking at $182,566 per year in Careerclev's current salary model. From there, the second spot belongs to Computer and Information Research Scientist at $170,140, which helps show whether the pay curve drops quickly or stays fairly tight after the leader. On entry-level pages, Careerclev uses lower wage percentiles as a transparent proxy for starting pay, because the public source data does not offer a clean entry-level field for every role.

1
SOC 15-2051 · Technology · 220 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
100% benchmark
$182,566
official baseline $183K
2
SOC 15-1221 · Technology · 60 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$170,140
official baseline $170K
3
SOC 11-3021 · Management · 120 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$158,509
official baseline $159K
4
SOC 15-1241 · Technology · 120 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
vs #1
$136,412
official baseline $136K
5
SOC 15-1243 · Technology · 40 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$129,407
official baseline $129K
6
SOC 15-1212 · Technology · 310 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$114,523
official baseline $115K
7
SOC 15-1252 · Technology · 560 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$107,748
official baseline $108K
8
SOC 15-1244 · Technology · 100 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$105,344
official baseline $105K
9
SOC 15-1299 · Technology · 90 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$110,805
official baseline $111K
10
SOC 15-1211 · Technology · 60 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$82,177.0
official baseline $82.2K
11
SOC 15-1231 · Technology · 50 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$82,845.0
official baseline $82.8K
12
SOC 15-1232 · Technology · 250 employed
High payData year 2024Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
vs #1
$59,979.0
official baseline $60.0K

What Data Scientist Does

Before the pay ranking means much, it helps to understand the work itself. Data Scientist sits at the top of this guide because it combines strong pay with the work profile described below.

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

Data Scientist Salary Trend

Data Scientist leads this ranking on current pay, but the national salary trend helps show whether that pay ceiling is being reinforced by steady wage growth over time.

Careerclev's current 2026 estimate applies an annual modeled growth rate of 2.2% from the last confirmed BLS benchmark year, using wage history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available.

2026·$111KEstimated
$101K
2021
$104K
2022
$108K
2023
$107K
2024
$109K
2025*
$111K
2026*
Official Data
May 2024 BLS
20212026 trend (est.)
10.3%
Forecast method
Trend + outlook model

* 2024–2026 values are modeled estimates extending from the last confirmed BLS benchmark. The last confirmed BLS figure ($107K, 2024) is extended with recent wage trend history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available, then replaced when official data is published.

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Highest-Paying Jobs by Category

High pay in Idaho Falls, ID is not concentrated in a single career path. The leading roles span Technology, Management . That mix helps show whether the local labor market rewards specialist clinical work, technical depth, executive management, or a broader spread of roles. Each row below shows the top-paying role within that actual SOC category rather than an assumed one.

CategoryTop JobSalaryEmploymentPrep Signal
TechnologyData Scientist$182,566220Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
ManagementComputer and Information Systems Manager$158,509120Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Entry-Level Pay Signals

A high median salary only tells half the story. What matters for career planning is where starting pay actually lands. Because BLS does not publish a clean entry-level label for every role, Careerclev uses lower wage percentiles as a transparent proxy. Data Scientist shows an estimated early-career pay signal of $149,042, compared with a long-run median of $182,566. In turn, that gap gives a better feel for both long-run upside and how quickly a role starts rewarding experience.

JobEntry ProxyMedian SalaryPrep PathTypical Education
Data Scientist$149,042$182,566Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Computer and Information Research Scientist$116,467$170,140Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost 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).
Computer and Information Systems Manager$125,290$158,509Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Computer Network Architect$123,584$136,412Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation NeededMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Database Architect$107,445$129,407Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Information Security Analyst$107,933$114,523Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Software Developer$83,310.0$107,748Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Network and Computer Systems Administrator$89,475.0$105,344Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Jobs With Strong Demand

Pay ceilings matter more when the local labor market is deep enough to generate real openings. In Idaho Falls, ID, Software Developer combines a salary of $107,748 with roughly 560 employed workers, which makes it one of the more accessible high-pay options on this list. By contrast, some specialties rank higher on salary but operate as narrower niches where openings are harder to find and entry paths are longer.

Very Deep Market
Software Developer
$107,748
560 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. in a job zone four: considerable preparation needed pathway.
Very Deep Market
Information Security Analyst
$114,523
310 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. in a job zone four: considerable preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
Computer User Support Specialist
$59,979.0
250 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. in a job zone three: medium preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
Data Scientist
$182,566
220 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. in a job zone four: considerable preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
Computer and Information Systems Manager
$158,509
120 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. in a job zone four: considerable preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
Computer Network Architect
$136,412
120 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. in a job zone three: medium preparation needed pathway.

Salary vs Employment

The highest-paying job is not always the largest market, and that distinction changes the practical calculus. Data Scientist leads on salary at $182,566, while Software Developer supports roughly 560 workers locally, a useful sanity check before committing to a long training path for a role with limited local openings.

Data ScientistSOC 15-2051
$183K
220
Computer and Information Research ScientistSOC 15-1221
$170K
60
Computer and Information Systems ManagerSOC 11-3021
$159K
120
Computer Network ArchitectSOC 15-1241
$136K
120
Database ArchitectSOC 15-1243
$129K
40
Information Security AnalystSOC 15-1212
$115K
310
Software DeveloperSOC 15-1252
$108K
560
Network and Computer Systems AdministratorSOC 15-1244
$105K
100

How to Choose a High-Paying Job Strategically

Salary rankings are a starting point, not a decision. In Idaho Falls, ID, the gap between Data Scientist at $182,566 and the early-pay signal from Data Scientist at $149,042 shows why access, market size, and training timelines belong in the same conversation as the headline number. That is where this page becomes more useful than a simple ranking list.

1
Match salary to access realistically
A high median means little if there are only a handful of openings per year. Check the employment estimate alongside the salary. A role with 560 workers in Idaho Falls, ID is fundamentally easier to enter than one with a few hundred.
2
Factor in education and licensure timelines
Some of the highest-paying roles on this list sit in prep bands such as Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed and often pair that with expectations like most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.. Build that timeline into your planning before targeting the salary ceiling.
3
Separate entry pay from long-run upside
The entry proxy column in this guide gives you an early-career anchor. A role that starts at $149,042 and scales to $182,566 offers a very different career arc than one that starts and peaks near the same figure.
4
Check the work before chasing the pay
Compare the day-to-day work with the training path before you commit. A role can rank highly on pay and still be a poor fit if the work itself does not match the kind of problems, environment, or responsibilities you want.
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Next Pages to Read

High-pay rankings are most useful when you read them alongside the core salary guide, the career entry path, and a few nearby role comparisons. That turns this page from a ranking into a better decision route for data scientist.

FAQs

These questions cover the practical parts of the ranking: how entry pay is estimated, why wage fields sometimes differ by source, and how to compare the top salary with the real size of the job market.

What is the highest-paying job in Idaho Falls, ID?
Data Scientist is currently the highest-paying role in this ranking at $182,566 per year in Careerclev's current salary model, built from the latest available BLS OEWS wage baseline for Idaho Falls, ID.
Is the entry-level pay data directly from BLS?
Not exactly. BLS publishes wage percentiles rather than experience-level labels, so Careerclev uses the 25th percentile (or the low-end wage where available) as an entry-pay proxy. It is a transparent approximation, not a direct label.
Is Idaho Falls, ID a good market for Data Scientist?
Idaho Falls, ID is a strong metro market for Data Scientist. BLS data shows an employment estimate of 220 workers locally, with a median salary of $182,566. A deeper employment count generally points to more active hiring, which improves access alongside the pay ceiling.
How much preparation does Data Scientist usually require?
Data Scientist is currently tagged as job zone four: considerable preparation needed in the O*NET prep model. The most common education signal is most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not., while the training path is described as employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training..
Does the top-paying job also have the most openings?
Not always. Software Developer may support a deeper employment market than the #1 salary role, which can make it more practical for job seekers despite a lower pay ceiling.
How should I compare salary with accessibility?
Use the ranking salary, entry-pay proxy, employment estimate, and preparation path together. The best target is usually the role that balances strong pay with a realistic path in.
Can a lower-ranked job be a better target than Data Scientist?
Yes. A lower-ranked role can be the better choice if it has a shorter prep path, stronger entry pay, more openings, or a work profile that fits you better than Data Scientist.
Why do some high-paying roles look hard to enter?
Many top-paying roles sit behind longer training, licensing, or related-experience requirements. That is why Careerclev shows preparation signals next to salary instead of treating all high-paying jobs as equally accessible.
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Data Sources & MethodologyRankings use Careerclev salary facts built from BLS OEWS wage data and extended through Careerclev's current salary projection model where applicable. National pages use U.S. aggregate data, state pages use state-level data, and city pages use the BLS metro dataset behind the largest-city public label. Category labels are derived from BLS Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) major group codes, while prep-path notes come from imported O*NET job-zone and career requirement data where available.
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