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Mechanical Engineer Salary in North Carolina

North Carolina pays mechanical engineers a mean of $107,350 per year, 28th in the nation, but unusually balanced across Charlotte, Raleigh-RTP, and the Piedmont manufacturing belt. The state employs 9,560 mechanical engineers, and COL-adjusted purchasing power of $111,823 clears the national median.

Data as of June 2026. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 17-2141. Snapshot taken 6 September 2026.

NC Mean Wage

$107,350

vs national $113,610 (-5.5%)

NC Employment

9,560

balanced across 5 metros

COL-Adjusted

$111,823

NC COL 96 vs national 100

A diversified labor market, not a single-employer state

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables for SOC 17-2141, May 2025 release, report a North Carolina annual mean wage of $107,350 for 9,560 employed engineers. The state sits -5.5% against the national mean nominally but produces $111,823 in adjusted purchasing power, above the national median, after COL math.

North Carolina's ME labor market is unusually balanced relative to states like Washington (Boeing-dominated) or Michigan (auto-dominated). Charlotte is energy and aerospace: Duke Energy headquarters, Honeywell Aerospace, Siemens Energy, Daimler Trucks NA. Raleigh-RTP is biotech and tech R&D: GSK, Biogen, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo, plus the Wake Forest, Duke, and NC State research orbit. Greensboro-High Point is heavy industry: Honda Aero jet engines (Honda's only aircraft-engine production site in the world), Volvo Trucks NA, P and G. The diversification cushions Carolina engineers against the single-industry layoff cycles that bruise Detroit and Seattle.

Metro-by-metro pay

Metro	Mean Wage	MEs Employed	Driver Employers
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia	$102,400	2,100	Duke Energy, Honeywell Aerospace, Siemens Energy, Daimler Trucks NA. Largest manufacturing and energy ME cluster in the Southeast.
Raleigh, Cary	$105,200	1,800	Research Triangle Park: GSK, Biogen, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo. Highest mean in the state thanks to biotech and tech R&D.
Greensboro, High Point	$92,800	720	Honda Aero engines, Volvo Trucks NA, Procter and Gamble. Furniture-industry decline replaced by aerospace and heavy trucks.
Winston-Salem	$90,400	480	Hanesbrands, Reynolds American manufacturing, plus Wake Forest medical-device research.
Durham, Chapel Hill	$99,800	540	RTP-adjacent: medical devices (Patheon, BioMerieux), Cree (Wolfspeed) silicon carbide, plus Duke University R&D.

The cost-of-living math, honestly

North Carolina housing costs sit just below the national average. Using Regional Price Parities published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state runs around 96, with Raleigh-Cary right at the national average (100) and the Piedmont metros from 91 to 99.

Metro	Nominal Pay	COL Index	Adjusted
Charlotte	$102,400	99	$103,434
Raleigh, Cary	$105,200	100	$105,200
Greensboro, High Point	$92,800	92	$100,870
Winston-Salem	$90,400	91	$99,341
North Carolina state average	$107,350	96	$111,823

PE licensing in North Carolina

The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors administers PE licensure under North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 89C. The path is ABET-accredited BS, FE exam, four years of qualifying experience under a licensed PE, then the PE exam. North Carolina renews annually, with licences expiring 31 December, publishes its application and renewal fees on the board's own published fee schedule, and the NCEES PE exam fee is $425. PE licensure adds $12,000 to $20,000 in the Charlotte consulting and Duke Energy markets. In biotech, hardware, and aerospace, PE licensure adds little compensation premium.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 17-2141. Snapshot taken 6 September 2026. The state mean, median, hourly and employment figures on this page are read from that release; the national rank is computed from the derived means.

Metro figures are from the BLS OEWS May 2024 metropolitan file and have not yet been re-derived at the May 2025 vintage. State and national figures on this page are May 2025.

Cost-of-living index (100 = national average) derived from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. This is a separate dataset from the BLS wage figures and is not published by BLS.

Frequently asked questions

How much do mechanical engineers make in North Carolina?+

North Carolina mechanical engineers earn a mean of $107,350 per year ($100,720 at the median) and a mean hourly wage of $51.61, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. The state employs 9,560 mechanical engineers across the Charlotte-Raleigh-Triangle corridor and the Piedmont manufacturing belt.

Which North Carolina metro pays mechanical engineers the most?+

Raleigh-Cary leads at a mean of $105,200 for 1,800 employed engineers, anchored by Research Triangle Park biotech and tech R&D. Charlotte follows at $102,400 for 2,100 engineers, with the larger absolute headcount in energy (Duke Energy) and aerospace (Honeywell Aerospace).

Is North Carolina mechanical engineering pay worth it after cost of living?+

Yes. The state mean of $107,350 at a COL index of 96 adjusts to $111,823, which clears the national median of $104,110 though not the national mean of $113,610. On the older May 2024 metropolitan release, Raleigh-Cary's $105,200 mean at COL 100 produced $105,200 in adjusted purchasing power, Charlotte at COL 99 adjusted to $103,434 and Greensboro at COL 92 to $100,870.

Where in North Carolina are mechanical engineering jobs concentrated?+

Roughly 6,300 mechanical engineers work in North Carolina. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia is the largest at 2,100, followed by Raleigh-Cary at 1,800, Greensboro-High Point at 720, Durham-Chapel Hill at 540, and Winston-Salem at 480. The state has unusually balanced employment across multiple metros rather than concentration in one.

Do mechanical engineers need a PE license to work in North Carolina?+

Most product engineering, hardware, and research roles do not require a PE license. The license is mandatory for engineers who sign off on building HVAC, structural mechanical, or public infrastructure designs under North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 89C. The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors administers licensing. North Carolina renews annually, with licences expiring 31 December, publishes its application and renewal fees on the board's own published fee schedule, and the NCEES PE exam fee is $425.

What is the entry-level mechanical engineer salary in North Carolina?+

Entry-level mechanical engineers in North Carolina (0 to 2 years experience) typically earn $59,000 to $72,000. Raleigh-RTP biotech and tech offers cluster around $68,000 to $80,000 base. Charlotte energy and Honeywell Aerospace offers cluster around $64,000 to $76,000 base. Greensboro and Winston-Salem manufacturing offers cluster around $58,000 to $70,000 base, with stronger benefits and lower housing costs offsetting the gap.

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