SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Winston-Salem, NC (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 + NC
COL Index: 102.58 (+2.6% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 69.4% Realized
$87,066 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $125,530 $60.35/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24.64% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$30,932 $1,189.69/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 $60.35 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,532/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,657/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$17,130
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,783
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,820
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,199
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$87,066 ($3,348.70 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Winston-Salem, NC Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $125,530
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $79.6k 25th $87.9k Median: $125,530 50th (Median) $126k 75th $141k 90th $161k You: $125,530
10th (Entry) $79,630 $38.28/hr
25th (Junior) $87,880 $42.25/hr
50th (Median) $125,530 $60.35/hr
75th (Senior) $141,400 $67.98/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $161,300 $77.55/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Winston-Salem, NC
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$80,087$38.50/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$118,781$57.11/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$151,176$72.68/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$184,471$88.69/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, NC under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
17% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,224/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,960
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,332/month Requires minimum annual gross of $53,280
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.69/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.52/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 Winston-Salem, 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$125,530-$30,932$87,066$3,348.70
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$149,067-$38,849$101,274$3,895.14
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$172,604-$46,843$115,405$4,438.65
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$196,141-$54,114$130,258$5,009.93
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$219,678-$60,825$145,672$5,602.76
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 Winston-Salem, NC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$125,530/yr
$60.35/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
24.64% Effective
-$30,932 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
17% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,032/mo
Post-$1,224/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 Winston-Salem, NC: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Winston-Salem, NC report a median annual wage of $125,530, 10.0% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $79,630 to $161,300, and HUD’s $1,224 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 11.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.69 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+57.7%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+40.1%
Reno, NV$170,390+35.7%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+34.9%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+34.1%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+30.3%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+30.1%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+29.7%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+29.6%
Springfield, MA$161,730+28.8%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Winston-Salem, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$273,710$131.59/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$160,900$77.36/hr
Marketing Managers$160,570$77.20/hr
Fundraising Managers$158,460$76.18/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$155,200$74.62/hr
Financial Manager$155,030$74.53/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$148,710$71.50/hr
Public Relations Managers$140,680$67.63/hr
Human Resources Managers$137,110$65.92/hr
Sales Managers$132,550$63.73/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 Winston-Salem, NC (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Winston-Salem, NC is $125,530 a year ($60.35/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for Data Engineer in Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, NC?

The median annual wage is $125,530 ($60.35 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $79,630 and $161,300. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Winston-Salem, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $125,530, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $92,566 a year ($7,714 a month) after $32,964 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 26.26%, using 2026 tax rules.