SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + NY
COL Index: 105.65 (+5.7% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 67.7% Realized
$86,744 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $128,100 $61.59/hr
Effective Tax Drag 26.28% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$33,670 $1,295.00/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $61.59 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,686/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,691/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$17,661
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,942
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,857
New York Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$6,209
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$86,744 ($3,336.31 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Data Engineer Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $128,100
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $73.1k 25th $87.1k Median: $128,100 50th (Median) $128k 75th $140k 90th $164k You: $128,100
10th (Entry) $73,070 $35.13/hr
25th (Junior) $87,120 $41.88/hr
50th (Median) $128,100 $61.59/hr
75th (Senior) $139,640 $67.13/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $164,070 $78.88/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$81,727$39.29/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$121,213$58.28/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$154,271$74.17/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$188,247$90.50/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY medianView National Data Engineer Salary Data
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
17% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,203/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,120
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,423/month Requires minimum annual gross of $56,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.36/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $22.99/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$128,100-$33,670$86,744$3,336.31
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$152,119-$42,487$100,505$3,865.56
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$176,138-$51,242$114,328$4,397.21
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$200,156-$58,861$129,286$4,972.55
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$224,175-$66,176$144,549$5,559.57
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Data Engineer in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and New York tax codes.

Market Baseline
$128,100/yr
$61.59/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
26.28% Effective
-$33,670 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
17% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,026/mo
Post-$1,203/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 15-1243
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Data Engineer in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY report a median annual wage of $128,100, 8.2% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $73,070 to $164,070, and HUD’s $1,203 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 11.3% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.36 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+54.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+37.3%
Reno, NV$170,390+33.0%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+32.2%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+31.5%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+27.7%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+27.5%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+27.1%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+27.0%
Springfield, MA$161,730+26.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$239,990$115.38/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,650$83.00/hr
Financial Manager$164,230$78.96/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$164,120$78.90/hr
Sales Managers$163,090$78.41/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$156,500$75.24/hr
Human Resources Managers$150,180$72.20/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$144,510$69.48/hr
Marketing Managers$144,390$69.42/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$139,570$67.10/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 132 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Data Engineer Salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY is $128,100 a year ($61.59/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Engineer in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Data Engineer in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The median annual wage is $128,100 ($61.59 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $73,070 and $164,070. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY after taxes?

On the median wage of $128,100, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $92,072 a year ($7,673 a month) after $36,028 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 28.12%, using 2026 tax rules.