SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist Salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA (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: 112.87 (+12.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.6% Realized
$55,978 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $76,090 $36.58/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.43% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$15,547 $597.96/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 $36.58 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,565/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,004/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$6,905
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,718
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,103
Georgia Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,821
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$55,978 ($2,152.99 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Athens-Clarke County, GA Data Scientist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $76,090
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $48.2k 25th $57.5k Median: $76,090 50th (Median) $76.1k 75th $105k 90th $155k You: $76,090
10th (Entry) $48,250 $23.20/hr
25th (Junior) $57,550 $27.67/hr
50th (Median) $76,090 $36.58/hr
75th (Senior) $105,200 $50.58/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $155,210 $74.62/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Athens-Clarke County, GA
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$42,529$20.45/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$54,237$26.08/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$76,071$36.57/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$100,563$48.35/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$126,004$60.58/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Athens-Clarke County, GA medianView National Data Scientist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Specialists, All Other-$39,130/yr
National median: $81,100
Skill overlap: 95%
Statisticians-$14,580/yr
National median: $105,650
Skill overlap: 94%
Operations Research Analysts-$31,290/yr
National median: $88,940
Skill overlap: 91%View Salary
Statistical Assistants-$69,900/yr
National median: $50,330
Skill overlap: 88%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
24% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,103/month Requires minimum annual gross of $44,120
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,285/month Requires minimum annual gross of $51,400
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $24.96/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.75/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 Athens-Clarke County, GA.

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$76,090-$15,547$55,978$2,152.99
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$90,357-$20,258$64,678$2,487.60
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$104,624-$24,969$73,377$2,822.21
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$118,891-$29,680$82,077$3,156.82
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$133,158-$34,458$90,710$3,488.84
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 Scientist in Athens-Clarke County, GA: 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
$76,090/yr
$36.58/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
20.43% Effective
-$15,547 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
24% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,562/mo
Post-$1,103/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 15-2051.00
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 Scientist in Athens-Clarke County, GA: Market Snapshot

Data Scientist roles in Athens-Clarke County, GA report a median annual wage of $76,090, 36.7% below the national median of $120,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $48,250 to $155,210, and HUD’s $1,103 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $24.96 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+143.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+123.6%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+120.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$164,740+116.5%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830+106.1%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800+96.9%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980+93.2%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760+86.3%
Corvallis, OR$140,190+84.2%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980+78.7%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Athens-Clarke County, GA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$164,460$79.07/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$157,340$75.64/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$137,570$66.14/hr
Financial Manager$137,130$65.93/hr
Purchasing Managers$133,630$64.25/hr
Marketing Managers$131,280$63.12/hr
Industrial Production Managers$131,200$63.08/hr
Human Resources Managers$129,490$62.25/hr
Nurse Practitioner$128,140$61.61/hr
Medical and Health Services Managers$126,420$60.78/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 282 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 Scientist Salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA is $76,090 a year ($36.58/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Scientist in Athens-Clarke County, GA 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 Scientist in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The median annual wage is $76,090 ($36.58 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $48,250 and $155,210. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Scientist in Athens-Clarke County, GA after taxes?

On the median wage of $76,090, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $59,311 a year ($4,943 a month) after $16,779 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.05%, using 2026 tax rules.