SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (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 + WA
COL Index: 158.78 (+58.8% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.0% Realized
$78,066 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $105,430 $50.69/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.95% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$21,038 $809.17/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 $50.69 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,326/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,392/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$12,973
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,537
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,529
Washington Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$78,066 ($3,002.53 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $105,430
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $102k 25th $102k Median: $105,430 50th (Median) $105k 75th $161k 90th $199k You: $105,430
10th (Entry) $101,970 $49.02/hr
25th (Junior) $101,970 $49.02/hr
50th (Median) $105,430 $50.69/hr
75th (Senior) $160,910 $77.36/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $199,170 $95.75/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$67,264$32.34/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$99,762$47.96/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$126,969$61.04/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$154,933$74.49/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
34% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $2,180/month Requires minimum annual gross of $87,200
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,549/month Requires minimum annual gross of $101,960
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $35.12/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $31.10/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.

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$105,430-$21,038$78,066$3,002.53
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$125,198-$26,639$91,048$3,501.83
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$144,966-$32,528$103,740$3,990.00
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$164,734-$38,500$116,350$4,475.00
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$184,503-$44,472$128,960$4,960.01
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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$105,430/yr
$50.69/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
19.95% Effective
-$21,038 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
34% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,325/mo
Post-$2,180/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA report a median annual wage of $105,430, 24.4% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $101,970 to $199,170, and HUD’s $2,180 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 24.8% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $35.12 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+87.8%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+66.8%
Reno, NV$170,390+61.6%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+60.6%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+59.7%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+55.2%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+54.9%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+54.5%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+54.3%
Springfield, MA$161,730+53.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$370,000$177.88/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$216,580$104.12/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$214,680$103.21/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$204,340$98.24/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$203,150$97.67/hr
Financial Manager$185,550$89.21/hr
Sales Managers$184,320$88.62/hr
Marketing Managers$175,850$84.54/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$174,260$83.78/hr
Human Resources Managers$171,360$82.38/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $105,430 a year ($50.69/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Engineer in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The median annual wage is $105,430 ($50.69 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $101,970 and $199,170. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA after taxes?

On the median wage of $105,430, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $83,000 a year ($6,917 a month) after $22,430 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.27%, using 2026 tax rules.