SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (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 + WI
COL Index: 100.48 (+0.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 66.9% Realized
$98,954 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $148,020 $71.16/hr
Effective Tax Drag 27.15% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$40,185 $1,545.56/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 $71.16 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$8,881/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$2,131/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$22,127
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$9,177
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$2,146
Wisconsin Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$6,734
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$98,954 ($3,805.93 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $148,020
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $90.6k 25th $109k Median: $148,020 50th (Median) $148k 75th $170k 90th $171k You: $148,020
10th (Entry) $90,630 $43.57/hr
25th (Junior) $108,510 $52.17/hr
50th (Median) $148,020 $71.16/hr
75th (Senior) $170,210 $81.83/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $171,440 $82.42/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$94,436$45.40/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$140,062$67.34/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$178,261$85.70/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$217,520$104.58/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
13% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,060/month Requires minimum annual gross of $42,400
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,263/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,520
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.22/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $22.33/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.

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$148,020-$40,185$98,954$3,805.93
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$175,774-$49,952$115,276$4,433.68
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$203,528-$58,571$132,745$5,105.58
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$231,281-$66,867$150,537$5,789.90
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$259,035-$77,213$166,280$6,395.40
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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$148,020/yr
$71.16/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
27.15% Effective
-$40,185 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
13% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$7,186/mo
Post-$1,060/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI report a median annual wage of $148,020, 6.1% above the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $90,630 to $171,440, and HUD’s $1,060 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 8.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.22 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+33.7%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+18.8%
Reno, NV$170,390+15.1%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+14.4%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+13.8%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+10.5%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+10.4%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+10.0%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+9.9%
Springfield, MA$161,730+9.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$216,240$103.96/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$161,220$77.51/hr
Financial Manager$156,100$75.05/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$144,960$69.69/hr
Sales Managers$144,560$69.50/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$143,570$69.02/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$140,170$67.39/hr
Human Resources Managers$136,530$65.64/hr
Physician Assistant$135,040$64.92/hr
Nurse Practitioner$134,350$64.59/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is $148,020 a year ($71.16/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for Data Engineer in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

The median annual wage is $148,020 ($71.16 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $90,630 and $171,440. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI after taxes?

On the median wage of $148,020, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $105,233 a year ($8,769 a month) after $42,787 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 28.91%, using 2026 tax rules.