Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other Salary
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others earn $60,340 at the median, or about $29.01 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $61,843 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 42.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $78K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 42.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | $57K | $61K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $64K | $66K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $76K | $78K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $57K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $107K | +37% | 810 |
| New Mexico | $102K | +30% | 1,390 |
| Maryland | $100K | +28% | 2,630 |
| Washington | $100K | +27% | 2,310 |
| Virginia | $98K | +26% | 3,720 |
| Rhode Island | $95K | +21% | 380 |
| Nevada | $94K | +20% | 590 |
| Hawaii | $90K | +15% | 410 |
| Alaska | $90K | +15% | 380 |
| Indiana | $89K | +13% | 480 |
| New Jersey | $87K | +12% | 880 |
| Oklahoma | $81K | +4% | 870 |
| West Virginia | $81K | +4% | 450 |
| Minnesota | $81K | +4% | 670 |
| North Dakota | $81K | +3% | 100 |
| South Carolina | $81K | +3% | 620 |
| California | $80K | +3% | 7,330 |
| Illinois | $80K | +2% | 940 |
| Wyoming | $79K | +1% | 130 |
| Utah | $79K | +1% | 920 |
| Mississippi | $79K | +1% | 350 |
| Ohio | $78K | -1% | 1,340 |
| Oregon | $77K | -2% | 1,010 |
| New Hampshire | $77K | -2% | 340 |
| Colorado | $76K | -3% | 1,260 |
| Delaware | $76K | -3% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $75K | -4% | 480 |
| Connecticut | $75K | -4% | 1,300 |
| Alabama | $75K | -5% | 690 |
| Michigan | $74K | -6% | 1,130 |
| Texas | $74K | -6% | 7,110 |
| Missouri | $72K | -8% | 590 |
| North Carolina | $72K | -8% | 1,530 |
| Florida | $71K | -10% | 2,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $69K | -12% | 1,610 |
| Georgia | $68K | -13% | 1,890 |
| Arkansas | $68K | -13% | 230 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | -14% | 990 |
| Nebraska | $67K | -14% | 260 |
| Idaho | $66K | -16% | 260 |
| Montana | $66K | -16% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $66K | -16% | 380 |
| New York | $66K | -16% | 2,000 |
| Iowa | $63K | -19% | 380 |
| Kansas | $62K | -21% | 920 |
| Arizona | $60K | -24% | 990 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -25% | 2,110 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -25% | 990 |
| Vermont | $53K | -33% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 42.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,950/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $60K here vs. $78K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $60,340 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,160, and experienced engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others can clear $91,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,984/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 42.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary is worth about $61,843 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.