Raleigh mechanical engineer salary: rankings and context
Here is how that number compares with the rest of the United States, with NC, and with other jobs in Raleigh.
How Raleigh compares with United States and NC
Directly above Raleigh is Phoenix (US$100,980); directly below is Miami (US$99,660). The full range runs from US$99,500 in Jacksonville to US$168,030 in San Jose.
No other NC metro has observed mechanical engineer percentiles here, so Raleigh is judged against the 21-metro national list instead.
Cost of living and take-home in Raleigh
Price levels in Raleigh (index 100) neither inflate nor shrink the paycheck much; adjusted for costs it is worth about US$100,000.
Its place holds after a cost-of-living adjustment — 19th of 21 either way.
After a simplified 13% effective national income tax, the median nets about US$7,200 a month. A modeled 1-bedroom (US$1,650) takes 23% of that, leaving around US$3,730 after modeled living costs.
If you compared Raleigh with similarly priced cities
New York (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$109,990, 10% more than Raleigh; modeled monthly leftover is US$650 higher.
A mechanical engineer moving from Raleigh to Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 24% to US$123,900, with US$1,550 more left over monthly in our model.
A mechanical engineer moving from Raleigh to Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 2% to US$102,070, with US$140 more left over monthly in our model.
Other Raleigh jobs compared with mechanical engineer
Software Engineer is the best-paid tracked role in Raleigh at US$132,770; mechanical engineer comes 5th of 9.
Closest neighbours in the Raleigh list: Project Manager at US$102,280 (+2%) and Financial Analyst at US$99,200 (-1%).
How Raleigh ranks at the low and high end
The Raleigh market rewards seniority more than entry: the 90th percentile (US$160,170) ranks 16th of 21, but the 10th (US$59,220) only 21st.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$217,530 at the 90th percentile, +36% against Raleigh.
How wide mechanical engineer pay runs in Raleigh
The 90th percentile (US$160,170) is 2.7× the 10th (US$59,220), a wide band that usually reflects different seniority levels and employer types under one title.