SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

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 + VA
COL Index: 126.05 (+26.0% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 67.3% Realized
$90,976 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $135,130 $64.97/hr
Effective Tax Drag 26.68% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$36,046 $1,386.40/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 $64.97 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$8,108/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,946/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$19,219
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$8,378
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,959
Virginia Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$6,490
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$90,976 ($3,499.07 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $135,130
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $92.3k 25th $99.7k Median: $135,130 50th (Median) $135k 75th $160k 90th $176k You: $135,130
10th (Entry) $92,260 $44.36/hr
25th (Junior) $99,680 $47.92/hr
50th (Median) $135,130 $64.97/hr
75th (Senior) $160,360 $77.10/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $175,580 $84.41/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$86,212$41.45/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$127,865$61.47/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$162,737$78.24/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$198,578$95.47/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 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) $1,488/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,520
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,667/month Requires minimum annual gross of $66,680
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $27.88/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $22.62/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

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$135,130-$36,046$90,976$3,499.07
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$160,467-$45,070$105,769$4,068.03
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$185,804-$54,013$120,642$4,640.09
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$211,141-$61,566$136,906$5,265.62
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$236,478-$69,600$152,689$5,872.64
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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$135,130/yr
$64.97/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
26.68% Effective
-$36,046 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
20% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,093/mo
Post-$1,488/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC report a median annual wage of $135,130, 3.1% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $92,260 to $175,580, and HUD’s $1,488 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 13.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $27.88 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+46.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+30.1%
Reno, NV$170,390+26.1%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+25.3%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+24.6%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+21.1%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+20.9%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+20.5%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+20.4%
Springfield, MA$161,730+19.7%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$297,350$142.96/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$170,560$82.00/hr
Financial Manager$163,940$78.82/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$161,340$77.57/hr
Sales Managers$158,750$76.32/hr
Marketing Managers$155,300$74.66/hr
Public Relations Managers$152,990$73.55/hr
Purchasing Managers$143,230$68.86/hr
Human Resources Managers$140,410$67.50/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$131,140$63.05/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is $135,130 a year ($64.97/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Data Engineer in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

The median annual wage is $135,130 ($64.97 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $92,260 and $175,580. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $135,130, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $96,671 a year ($8,056 a month) after $38,459 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 28.46%, using 2026 tax rules.