Economists Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $123K, rent takes 24.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,820/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new economists typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,913/month. At HUD’s $1,820/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $123K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 2% difference.

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell pays $123K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $122K — below the national median.

The median is $122,570 a year, that works out to about $59 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,880, and experienced economists can clear $187,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,354/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,820/month, which eats 24.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell has a Regional Price Parity of 100.06 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median economists salary is worth about $122,497 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.