SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist Salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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: 99.38 (-0.6% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 71.7% Realized
$68,342 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $95,290 $45.81/hr
Effective Tax Drag 22.28% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$21,231 $816.57/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 $45.81 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,717/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,258/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$10,876
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,908
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,382
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,065
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$68,342 ($2,628.53 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Data Scientist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $95,290
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $59.3k 25th $69.0k Median: $95,290 50th (Median) $95.3k 75th $134k 90th $134k You: $95,290
10th (Entry) $59,290 $28.50/hr
25th (Junior) $68,950 $33.15/hr
50th (Median) $95,290 $45.81/hr
75th (Senior) $133,760 $64.31/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $133,930 $64.39/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$53,260$25.61/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$67,923$32.66/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$95,266$45.80/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$125,938$60.55/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$157,800$75.87/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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) $965/month Requires minimum annual gross of $38,600
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,147/month Requires minimum annual gross of $45,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.98/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $18.64/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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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$95,290-$21,231$68,342$2,628.53
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$113,157-$26,963$79,405$3,054.03
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$131,024-$32,722$90,441$3,478.48
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$148,891-$38,789$101,168$3,891.07
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$166,758-$44,857$111,895$4,303.65
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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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
$95,290/yr
$45.81/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
22.28% Effective
-$21,231 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
17% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,730/mo
Post-$965/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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: Market Snapshot

Data Scientist roles in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC report a median annual wage of $95,290, 20.7% below the national median of $120,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $59,290 to $133,930, and HUD’s $965 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 12.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+94.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+78.5%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+76.1%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$164,740+72.9%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830+64.6%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800+57.2%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980+54.2%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760+48.8%
Corvallis, OR$140,190+47.1%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980+42.7%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$312,730$150.35/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$170,730$82.08/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$163,010$78.37/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$162,690$78.22/hr
Marketing Managers$151,190$72.69/hr
Financial Manager$138,150$66.42/hr
Purchasing Managers$132,570$63.74/hr
Sales Managers$132,060$63.49/hr
Physician Assistant$127,210$61.16/hr
Nurse Practitioner$126,620$60.88/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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $95,290 a year ($45.81/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Scientist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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 Scientist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The median annual wage is $95,290 ($45.81 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $59,290 and $133,930. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Scientist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $95,290, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $72,573 a year ($6,048 a month) after $22,717 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 23.84%, using 2026 tax rules.