Mechanical engineer · Durham, NC
Mechanical engineer in Durham: $3,234/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Durham at $101,650 a year. About 620 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.95). The 10th percentile is $77,410 and the 90th is $164,820. Pay ranks 131st-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.6× 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 $3,234 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Augusta, about 240 miles away, at $4,621 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,234
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$101,650
$77,410 to $164,820
Rent (1 bd)
$1,274
$1,517 (2 bd)
Employment
620
Location quotient 0.95
Pay rank
131st of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.6×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $101,650.
- Taxes$2,128
- Rent$1,274
- Other living costs$1,835
- Left over$3,234
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $101,650
- Federal income tax
- −$13,977
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,776
- State income tax (NC)
- −$3,778
- Take-home pay
- $76,119
- Effective tax rate
- 25.1%
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
$8,471 gross, minus $2,128 in tax and $3,109 in living costs.
$3,234
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Augusta, $4,621/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Durham
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
Questions
What does a mechanical engineer make in Durham?
$101,650 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 620 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Durham?
$3,234 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 6.6× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Augusta, about 240 miles away, leaves $4,621 a month, more than Durham.