Mechanical Engineers salary in Wilmington, NC

Median pay for mechanical engineers in Wilmington, NC: $94,780/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $64,790 – $132,270 · about 120 employed locally

Below the typical metro median ($95,605) by −$825 (-1%).

What it's really worth in Wilmington

With Wilmington's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $94,780 has the buying power of about $99,306 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $68,845 · median home $446,210 · median rent $1,708/mo.

Full Wilmington cost of living & taxes →

How Wilmington ranks for this job

On raw pay, Wilmington, NC is 99th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Wilmington's cost of living is applied, it ranks 73rd.

Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Wilmington is one of the places where mechanical engineers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.

What that salary buys in Wilmington

A median home in Wilmington, NC costs $446,210 — about 4.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,708/mo works out at 22% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where mechanical engineers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Wilmington.

Metro	Median pay	vs Wilmington	Rent vs Wilmington
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+62%	2.1×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+45%	1.9×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+41%	0.9×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+38%	0.8×

Same job elsewhere in NC

Metro	Median pay	vs Wilmington	Rent vs Wilmington
Greensboro, NC	$100,940	+6%	0.8×
Durham, NC	$99,960	+5%	1×
Raleigh, NC	$99,560	+5%	1×
Charlotte, NC	$95,980	+1%	1×

Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires mechanical engineers around Wilmington

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy · Energy

Other jobs in Wilmington