SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (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 + NC
COL Index: 137.19 (+37.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 68.5% Realized
$95,151 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $138,870 $66.76/hr
Effective Tax Drag 25.48% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$35,386 $1,361.01/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 $66.76 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$8,332/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$2,000/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$20,063
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$8,610
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$2,014
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,700
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$95,151 ($3,659.67 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $138,870
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $88.5k 25th $118k Median: $138,870 50th (Median) $139k 75th $169k 90th $181k You: $138,870
10th (Entry) $88,510 $42.55/hr
25th (Junior) $117,830 $56.65/hr
50th (Median) $138,870 $66.76/hr
75th (Senior) $168,670 $81.09/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $180,650 $86.85/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$88,598$42.60/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$131,404$63.17/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$167,241$80.40/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$204,074$98.11/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
21% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,640/month Requires minimum annual gross of $65,600
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,785/month Requires minimum annual gross of $71,400
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $30.34/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $23.97/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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.

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$138,870-$35,386$95,151$3,659.67
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$164,908-$44,229$110,785$4,260.95
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$190,946-$52,672$126,817$4,877.59
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$216,984-$60,053$143,912$5,535.08
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$243,023-$68,361$160,080$6,156.92
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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$138,870/yr
$66.76/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
25.48% Effective
-$35,386 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
21% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,289/mo
Post-$1,640/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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC report a median annual wage of $138,870, 0.5% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $88,510 to $180,650, and HUD’s $1,640 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 14.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $30.34 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+42.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+26.6%
Reno, NV$170,390+22.7%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+21.9%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+21.3%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+17.8%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+17.6%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+17.3%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+17.1%
Springfield, MA$161,730+16.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$329,030$158.19/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$176,840$85.02/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$173,160$83.25/hr
Financial Manager$172,760$83.06/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$169,960$81.71/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$167,450$80.50/hr
Marketing Managers$166,200$79.90/hr
Sales Managers$162,000$77.88/hr
Human Resources Managers$158,930$76.41/hr
Purchasing Managers$144,270$69.36/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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is $138,870 a year ($66.76/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Data Engineer in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

The median annual wage is $138,870 ($66.76 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $88,510 and $180,650. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC after taxes?

On the median wage of $138,870, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $101,151 a year ($8,429 a month) after $37,719 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 27.16%, using 2026 tax rules.