Civil engineer · Durham, NC

Civil engineer in Durham: $2,810/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Durham at $93,940 a year. About 740 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.91). The 10th percentile is $67,970 and the 90th is $164,990. Pay ranks 239th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.1× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,274/mo). North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,810 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Morristown, about 239 miles away, at $3,525 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,810

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$93,940

$67,970 to $164,990

Rent (1 bd)

$1,274

$1,517 (2 bd)

Employment

740

Location quotient 0.91

Pay rank

239th of 368

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

6.1×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $93,940.

Taxes$1,910
Rent$1,274
Other living costs$1,835
Left over$2,810

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $93,940
Federal income tax: −$12,281
Social Security and Medicare: −$7,186
State income tax (NC): −$3,451
Take-home pay: $71,022
Effective tax rate: 24.4%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,274
Groceries: $385
Getting around: $440
Healthcare: $433
Utilities and internet: $241
Everything else: $337
Total spending: $3,109

Left over each month

$7,828 gross, minus $1,910 in tax and $3,109 in living costs.

$2,810

Rank every metro for a civil engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Morristown, $3,525/mo.

Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →

Civil engineer nearby

Questions

What does a civil engineer make in Durham?

$93,940 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 740 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Durham?

$2,810 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax Rent is $1,274, and pay covers 6.1× a year of it.

Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?

Morristown, about 239 miles away, leaves $3,525 a month, more than Durham.