How does MetroBasis calculate after-tax take-home pay and compensation?

MetroBasis combines empirical BLS OEWS wage percentiles with IRS Publication 15-T federal withholding tables, FICA Social Security and Medicare calculations, state graduated tax brackets, and local municipal income taxes across 657 U.S. metropolitan areas.

How are HUD Fair Market Rents and housing affordability evaluated?

Housing affordability is evaluated using official HUD Fair Market Rents across Studio, 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, and 4BR units compared against both the 30% gross income rule and net take-home discretionary cash flow.

What is the difference between EPI Living Wage and statutory minimum wage?

The EPI Living Wage represents the minimum employment earnings required for a full-time worker to meet basic necessities (housing, food, healthcare, transportation) without public assistance, whereas statutory minimum wages are legally mandated minimum pay floors.

Empirical Labor Compensation,
Take-Home Pay & Rent Affordability

Real-world 2026 economic dossiers for working professionals. Derived from official BLS May 2025 wage surveys, exact statutory tax schedules with the $184,500 FICA cap, and HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents.

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Trending Dossiers:

657 U.S. Metros & Counties

67 Standard Occupations

$184,500 2026 FICA Cap Active

24,286 BLS Wage Estimates

Federal SOC Major Groups

Browse Compensation by Industry Sector

Explore empirical wage bands, career progression ladders, and adjacent career mobility.

67 Active Careers Modeled View All Industries

7 Occupations

Skilled Trades & Infrastructure

Electricians, Plumbers, HVAC/R Mechanics, and Power-Line Technicians driving critical infrastructure.

Avg. Occupation Median: $69,993 / yr

Highest-Paid Role: Electrical Power-Line Installer

Explore Skilled Trades Dossiers

8 Occupations

Technology & Software Systems

Software Engineers, Cloud Architects, Data Analysts, and DevOps/SRE driving high-scale platforms.

Avg. Occupation Median: $126,735 / yr

Highest-Paid Role: Computer and Information Systems Managers

Explore Technology Dossiers

5 Occupations

Healthcare & Clinical Practice

Registered Nurses (RN), Nurse Practitioners (NP), and Clinical Coordinators delivering patient care.

Avg. Occupation Median: $117,538 / yr

Highest-Paid Role: Physician Assistant

Explore Healthcare Dossiers

12 Occupations

Finance & Executive Management

Accountants, Corporate Controllers, Financial Managers, and Analysts managing enterprise capital.

Avg. Occupation Median: $107,279 / yr

Highest-Paid Role: Chief Executives

Explore Finance Dossiers

3 Occupations

Industrial Mechanics & Operations

Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Pipefitters, and Automation Inspectors supporting commercial plants.

Avg. Occupation Median: $99,080 / yr

Highest-Paid Role: Industrial Production Managers

Explore Industrial Dossiers

6 Occupations

Business Analytics & Data Science

Data Analysts, Operations Researchers, and Quantitative Modelers converting data into revenue.

Avg. Occupation Median: $114,917 / yr

Highest-Paid Role: Computer and Information Systems Managers

Explore Analytics Dossiers

HUD FY 2027 & EPI 2026 Datasets

Trending Metropolitan Markets & Living Wages

Comparing statutory net take-home pay, Fair Market Rents, and single-adult living wage floors.

657 Metros Ingested Browse All 657 Metros

COL: 106.5 2.50% Local Tax

Columbus, OH

62 occupations with BLS wage data

HUD 1-BR Rent: $1,346 / mo

HUD 2-BR Rent: $1,602 / mo

Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $23.55 / hr

Electrician Median: $64,700 / yr

View Columbus Dossier

COL: 125.6 0% State Income Tax

Austin, TX

63 occupations with BLS wage data

HUD 1-BR Rent: $1,530 / mo

HUD 2-BR Rent: $1,817 / mo

Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $27.77 / hr

Software Engineer Median: $134,120 / yr

View Austin Dossier

COL: 181.0 3.88% Local Tax

New York, NY

65 occupations with BLS wage data

HUD 1-BR Rent: $2,729 / mo

HUD 2-BR Rent: $2,971 / mo

Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $40.03 / hr

Financial Manager Median: $221,010 / yr

View New York Dossier

COL: 180.4 Top State Rate 13.3%

San Francisco, CA

66 occupations with BLS wage data

HUD 1-BR Rent: $3,003 / mo

HUD 2-BR Rent: $3,697 / mo

Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $39.91 / hr

Software Engineer Median: $186,640 / yr

View San Francisco Dossier

COL: 125.8 Top State Rate 4.95%

Chicago, IL

64 occupations with BLS wage data

HUD 1-BR Rent: $1,780 / mo

HUD 2-BR Rent: $2,011 / mo

Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $27.82 / hr

Accountant & Auditor Median: $82,360 / yr

View Chicago Dossier

COL: 124.5 0% State Income Tax

Tampa, FL

62 occupations with BLS wage data

HUD 1-BR Rent: $1,648 / mo

HUD 2-BR Rent: $1,917 / mo

Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $27.54 / hr

Registered Nurse (RN) Median: $85,470 / yr

View Tampa Dossier

Data Sources & Method

Why Working Professionals Rely on MetroBasis

Unlike user-submitted salary portals subject to self-reporting bias, MetroBasis ingests official statutory datasets directly from federal and municipal authorities.

BLS OEWS May 2025

Empirical 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles based on 1.1 million surveyed non-farm establishments.

HUD FY 2027 Schedule

Fair Market Rents (FMR) calculated for zero to 4-bedroom units across all U.S. counties to evaluate the 30% affordability rule.

2026 FICA Cap ($184,500)

Exact Social Security Administration statutory wage maximum ($11,439 max OASDI) with Medicare and surtax brackets.

EPI Family Budgets

Comprehensive itemized cost-of-living data covering housing, food, transportation, and health expenses across 657 MSAs.

Empirical Labor Compensation, Take-Home Pay & Rent Affordability