SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Chattanooga, TN-GA (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 + TN
COL Index: 112.89 (+12.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.5% Realized
$74,671 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $100,260 $48.20/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.52% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$19,574 $752.83/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 $48.20 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,016/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,323/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$11,904
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,216
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,454
Tennessee Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$74,671 ($2,871.95 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Chattanooga, TN-GA Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $100,260
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $72.8k 25th $84.6k Median: $100,260 50th (Median) $100k 75th $131k 90th $142k You: $100,260
10th (Entry) $72,810 $35.00/hr
25th (Junior) $84,590 $40.67/hr
50th (Median) $100,260 $48.20/hr
75th (Senior) $131,080 $63.02/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $142,300 $68.41/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Chattanooga, TN-GA
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$63,965$30.75/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$94,870$45.61/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$120,743$58.05/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$147,335$70.83/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Chattanooga, TN-GA 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
20% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,231/month Requires minimum annual gross of $49,240
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,340/month Requires minimum annual gross of $53,600
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $24.97/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.79/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 Chattanooga, TN-GA.

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$100,260-$19,574$74,671$2,871.95
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$119,059-$24,899$87,016$3,346.76
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$137,858-$30,381$99,205$3,815.59
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$156,656-$36,060$111,197$4,276.81
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$175,455-$41,739$123,189$4,738.03
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 Chattanooga, TN-GA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$100,260/yr
$48.20/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
19.52% Effective
-$19,574 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
20% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,992/mo
Post-$1,231/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 Chattanooga, TN-GA: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Chattanooga, TN-GA report a median annual wage of $100,260, 28.1% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $72,810 to $142,300, and HUD’s $1,231 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 14.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $24.97 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+97.4%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+75.4%
Reno, NV$170,390+69.9%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+68.9%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+68.0%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+63.2%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+62.9%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+62.4%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+62.2%
Springfield, MA$161,730+61.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Chattanooga, TN-GA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$209,990$100.96/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$163,720$78.71/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$152,980$73.55/hr
Financial Manager$151,530$72.85/hr
Administrative Services Managers$130,540$62.76/hr
Human Resources Managers$129,900$62.45/hr
Marketing Managers$124,360$59.79/hr
Purchasing Managers$123,750$59.50/hr
Industrial Production Managers$121,670$58.50/hr
Physician Assistant$121,600$58.46/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 Chattanooga, TN-GA (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Chattanooga, TN-GA is $100,260 a year ($48.20/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for Data Engineer in Chattanooga, TN-GA 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA?

The median annual wage is $100,260 ($48.20 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $72,810 and $142,300. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Chattanooga, TN-GA after taxes?

On the median wage of $100,260, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $79,363 a year ($6,614 a month) after $20,897 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.84%, using 2026 tax rules.