SOC 15-1252

Software Engineer Salary in Memphis, TN-MS-AR (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 + TN
COL Index: 106.87 (+6.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.7% Realized
$91,298 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $125,580 $60.38/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.3% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$26,747 $1,028.72/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 $60.38 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,535/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,658/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$17,140
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,786
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,821
Tennessee Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$91,298 ($3,511.48 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Memphis, TN-MS-AR Software Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $125,580
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $77.5k 25th $98.1k Median: $125,580 50th (Median) $126k 75th $140k 90th $168k You: $125,580
10th (Entry) $77,520 $37.27/hr
25th (Junior) $98,140 $47.18/hr
50th (Median) $125,580 $60.38/hr
75th (Senior) $139,510 $67.07/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $168,000 $80.77/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Software Engineer in Memphis, TN-MS-AR
1
Junior Software Engineer (L3)CS degree or equivalent bootcamp/portfolio, foundational data structures
$81,731$39.29/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Mid-Level Software Engineer (L4)Independent feature delivery, system design, CI/CD and DB optimization
$118,210$56.83/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Software Engineer (L5)Architectural leadership, cross-team design reviews, mentorship
$158,845$76.37/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff / Principal Engineer (L6)Company-wide tech strategy, distributed system fault tolerance, high scale
$210,562$101.23/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Memphis, TN-MS-AR medianView National Software 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
16% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,191/month Requires minimum annual gross of $47,640
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,301/month Requires minimum annual gross of $52,040
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.64/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.37/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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR.

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$125,580-$26,747$91,298$3,511.48
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$149,126-$33,785$106,394$4,092.06
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$172,673-$40,898$121,414$4,669.76
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$196,219-$47,285$137,161$5,275.40
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$219,765-$53,116$153,463$5,902.41
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

Software Engineer in Memphis, TN-MS-AR: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$125,580/yr
$60.38/hr · SOC 15-1252
Statutory Tax Drag
21.3% Effective
-$26,747 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
16% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,417/mo
Post-$1,191/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 15-1252
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

Software Engineer in Memphis, TN-MS-AR: Market Snapshot

Software Engineer roles in Memphis, TN-MS-AR report a median annual wage of $125,580, 7.6% below the national median of $135,980. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $77,520 to $168,000, and HUD’s $1,191 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 11.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.64 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Software Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$213,110+69.7%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,640+48.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$167,280+33.2%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$166,830+32.8%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$166,090+32.3%
Boulder, CO$164,560+31.0%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$163,270+30.0%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$162,650+29.5%
Manchester-Nashua, NH$162,090+29.1%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$160,920+28.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Memphis, TN-MS-AR

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$196,680$94.56/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$179,670$86.38/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$161,790$77.78/hr
Purchasing Managers$156,830$75.40/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$155,420$74.72/hr
Financial Manager$143,880$69.17/hr
Public Relations Managers$141,340$67.95/hr
Human Resources Managers$138,560$66.62/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$133,150$64.01/hr
Marketing Managers$132,540$63.72/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 377 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.

Software Engineer Salary in Memphis, TN-MS-AR (2026) Overview

Software Engineer median pay in Memphis, TN-MS-AR is $125,580 a year ($60.38/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for Software Engineer in Memphis, TN-MS-AR 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 Software Engineer in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?

The median annual wage is $125,580 ($60.38 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $77,520 and $168,000. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Software Engineer in Memphis, TN-MS-AR after taxes?

On the median wage of $125,580, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $97,100 a year ($8,092 a month) after $28,480 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.68%, using 2026 tax rules.