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.

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.

View All Industries
+8.4% Growth

Skilled Trades & Infrastructure

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

National Median Pay: $65,280 / yr
Top Earning Markets: Columbus, OH • Dallas, TX
Explore Skilled Trades Dossiers
48% Remote

Technology & Software Systems

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

National Median Pay: $132,270 / yr
Top Earning Markets: Austin, TX • Seattle, WA
Explore Technology Dossiers
High OT Elasticity

Healthcare & Clinical Practice

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

National Median Pay: $86,070 / yr
Top Earning Markets: Philadelphia, PA • Tampa, FL
Explore Healthcare Dossiers
Top Tier: $239k+

Finance & Executive Management

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

National Median Pay: $98,400 / yr
Top Earning Markets: New York, NY • Chicago, IL
Explore Finance Dossiers
Union Certified

Industrial Mechanics & Operations

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

National Median Pay: $62,450 / yr
Top Earning Markets: Detroit, MI • Cleveland, OH
Explore Industrial Dossiers
High Demand

Business Analytics & Data Science

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

National Median Pay: $88,400 / yr
Top Earning Markets: Seattle, WA • San Francisco, CA
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.

COL: 106.5 2.50% City Tax

Columbus, OH

Midwest High-Growth Manufacturing & Tech Hub

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
0% State Tax Tech Capital

Austin, TX

Silicon Hills Tech & Innovation Corridor

HUD 1-BR Rent: $1,530 / mo
HUD 2-BR Rent: $1,817 / mo
Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $21.40 / hr
Software Eng. Median: $138,400 / yr
View Austin Dossier
COL: 181.0 3.50% NYC Tax

New York, NY

Global Financial & Media Headquarters

HUD 1-BR Rent: $2,729 / mo
HUD 2-BR Rent: $2,971 / mo
Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $40.03 / hr
Finance Mgr Median: $182,500 / yr
View New York Dossier
COL: 180.5 CA Tier Brackets

San Francisco, CA

Bay Area Technology & AI Ecosystem

HUD 1-BR Rent: $3,003 / mo
HUD 2-BR Rent: $3,697 / mo
Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $39.91 / hr
Software Eng. Median: $168,400 / yr
View San Francisco Dossier
COL: 109.8 4.95% IL Flat Tax

Chicago, IL

Midwest Commercial Logistics & Trading Center

HUD 1-BR Rent: $1,650 / mo
HUD 2-BR Rent: $1,980 / mo
Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $22.15 / hr
Accountant Median: $84,500 / yr
View Chicago Dossier
0% State Tax Sunbelt Growth

Tampa, FL

Gulf Coast Healthcare & Financial Operations

HUD 1-BR Rent: $1,520 / mo
HUD 2-BR Rent: $1,880 / mo
Living Wage Floor (1 Adult): $19.85 / hr
Registered Nurse Median: $82,600 / 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.