SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Columbus, GA-AL (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 + GA
COL Index: 103.05 (+3.0% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 69.0% Realized
$82,071 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $118,880 $57.15/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24.96% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$29,676 $1,141.40/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 $57.15 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,133/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,569/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$15,754
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,371
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,724
Georgia Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,828
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$82,071 ($3,156.57 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Columbus, GA-AL Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $118,880
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $102k 25th $119k Median: $118,880 50th (Median) $119k 75th $151k 90th $166k You: $118,880
10th (Entry) $102,230 $49.15/hr
25th (Junior) $118,880 $57.15/hr
50th (Median) $118,880 $57.15/hr
75th (Senior) $151,390 $72.78/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $165,890 $79.75/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Columbus, GA-AL
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$75,845$36.46/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$112,489$54.08/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$143,167$68.83/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$174,698$83.99/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Columbus, GA-AL 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 Columbus, GA-AL under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
15% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,053/month Requires minimum annual gross of $42,120
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,212/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,480
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.79/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.79/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 Columbus, GA-AL.

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$118,880-$29,676$82,071$3,156.57
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$141,170-$37,255$95,445$3,670.97
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$163,460-$45,034$108,618$4,177.63
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$185,750-$52,736$121,869$4,687.27
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$208,040-$59,206$136,352$5,244.31
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 Columbus, GA-AL: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$118,880/yr
$57.15/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
24.96% Effective
-$29,676 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
15% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$5,786/mo
Post-$1,053/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 Columbus, GA-AL: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Columbus, GA-AL report a median annual wage of $118,880, 14.8% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $102,230 to $165,890, and HUD’s $1,053 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 10.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.79 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+66.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+47.9%
Reno, NV$170,390+43.3%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+42.4%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+41.6%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+37.6%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+37.4%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+37.0%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+36.8%
Springfield, MA$161,730+36.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Columbus, GA-AL

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$169,630$81.55/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$166,750$80.17/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$162,450$78.10/hr
Marketing Managers$145,120$69.77/hr
Financial Manager$141,460$68.01/hr
Sales Managers$136,340$65.55/hr
Purchasing Managers$132,510$63.71/hr
Human Resources Managers$130,870$62.92/hr
Industrial Production Managers$128,520$61.79/hr
Facilities Managers$125,530$60.35/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 Columbus, GA-AL (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Columbus, GA-AL is $118,880 a year ($57.15/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents and living wage.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Data Engineer in Columbus, GA-AL?

The median annual wage is $118,880 ($57.15 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $102,230 and $165,890. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $118,880, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $87,278 a year ($7,273 a month) after $31,602 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 26.58%, using 2026 tax rules.