Mechanical Engineers pay range in Charlotte
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,530 a year or less, while the top 10% make $157,120 or more. The middle half of mechanical engineers in Charlotte earn between $85,180 and $126,180.
- $75K10th
- $85K25th
- $102KMedian
- $126K75th
- $157K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $110,110 | $9,176 | $52.94 |
| Median | $101,950 | $8,496 | $49.01 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $85,180 | $7,098 | $40.95 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $126,180 | $10,515 | $60.66 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Engineers salary after taxes in Charlotte
On the average salary of $110,110, a single filer in Charlotte takes home about $82,408 a year, or $6,867 a month and $3,170 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NC | $82,408 | $6,867 |
| Working in SC | $81,522 | $6,793 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Charlotte a good place for mechanical engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Charlotte area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.3), so the average $110,110 buys what about $113,110 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Charlotte ($49,990). A typical home costs $390,321, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Engineers salary in other North Carolina cities
Charlotte ranks 4th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Asheville pays the most ($121,630).
- Asheville$121,630
- Durham$111,540
- Greensboro$110,500
- Charlotte$110,110
- Wilmington$109,790
- Fayetteville$107,330
- Greenville$106,690
- Raleigh$104,950
- Jacksonville$101,750
- Rocky Mount$99,350
Highest-paying cities for mechanical engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($165,920).
- San Jose, CA$165,920
- San Francisco, CA$158,690
- Santa Cruz, CA$139,810
- Augusta, GA$137,040
- Baton Rouge, LA$136,970
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Mechanical Engineers salary in Charlotte: questions
How much do mechanical engineers make an hour in Charlotte?
$52.94 an hour on average, and $49.02 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical engineers salary in Charlotte?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,530 a year and the 25th percentile is $85,180, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical engineers take-home pay in Charlotte?
About $82,408 a year ($6,867 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $110,110.
Do mechanical engineers earn more in Charlotte than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($114,695).
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 17-2141; area Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (16740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.1%.
- 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 0.95, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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