SOC 17-3027 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians Salary in Hickory, NC

The average salary for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in Hickory, North Carolina is $64,520 a year ($31.02 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $64,060: half of the 60 people in this job in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,510).

$64,520average per year

$31.02 / hourMedian $64,060Take-home ≈ $51,956

  • $49K10th
  • $59K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $85K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
-17%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 7North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay range in Hickory

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,550 a year or less, while the top 10% make $85,060 or more. The middle half of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in Hickory earn between $59,080 and $71,400.

  • $49K10th
  • $59K25th
  • $64KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $85K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$64,520$5,377$31.02
Median$64,060$5,338$30.80
Entry level (25th percentile)$59,080$4,923$28.40
Experienced (75th percentile)$71,400$5,950$34.33

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary after taxes in Hickory

On the average salary of $64,520, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $51,956 a year, or $4,330 a month and $1,998 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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Is Hickory a good place for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $64,520 buys what about $72,915 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $64,520 is worth in another city

Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in other North Carolina cities

Hickory ranks 4th of 7 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Raleigh pays the most ($72,640).

All Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

Baton Rouge, LA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($133,940).

Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary by city

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Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in Hickory: questions

How much do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians make an hour in Hickory?

$31.02 an hour on average, and $30.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level mechanical engineering technologists and technicians salary in Hickory?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,550 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,080, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the mechanical engineering technologists and technicians take-home pay in Hickory?

About $51,956 a year ($4,330 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,520.

Do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,510).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3027; area Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.64, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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