Mechanical engineer · Hickory, NC

Mechanical engineer in Hickory: $2,558/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Hickory at $89,960 a year. About 250 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.84). The 10th percentile is $61,320 and the 90th is $145,080. Pay ranks 295th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.6× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,142/mo). North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,558 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Augusta, about 165 miles away, at $4,621 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,558

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$89,960

$61,320 to $145,080

Rent (1 bd)

$1,142

$1,360 (2 bd)

Employment

250

Location quotient 0.84

Pay rank

295th 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 $89,960.

Taxes$1,797
Rent$1,142
Other living costs$1,999
Left over$2,558

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $89,960
Federal income tax: −$11,405
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,882
State income tax (NC): −$3,281
Take-home pay: $68,391
Effective tax rate: 24.0%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,142
Groceries: $385
Getting around: $605
Healthcare: $433
Utilities and internet: $241
Everything else: $337
Total spending: $3,141

Left over each month

$7,497 gross, minus $1,797 in tax and $3,141 in living costs.

$2,558

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 →

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Questions

What does a mechanical engineer make in Hickory?

$89,960 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 250 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Hickory?

$2,558 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax Rent is $1,142, and pay covers 6.6× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Augusta, about 165 miles away, leaves $4,621 a month, more than Hickory.