Environmental Engineers Salary
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, environmental engineers earn $82,840 at the median, or about $39.83 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $137K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.35), that's roughly $85,095 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,686/month, about 31.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $83K get you in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia’s Regional Price Parity (97.35). 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 environmental engineers
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What this looks like in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Pay for environmental engineers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $107K. Rent runs $1,686/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental engineers in metros near Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $103K | $105K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $108K | $111K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $97K | $97K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $102K | $104K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Entry-level environmental engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $137K or more, a $74K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Environmental Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $131K | +22% | 340 |
| California | $130K | +22% | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $127K | +19% | 650 |
| Washington | $125K | +17% | 1,920 |
| Texas | $123K | +15% | 1,940 |
| Nebraska | $121K | +13% | 270 |
| Idaho | $118K | +10% | 400 |
| Florida | $117K | +9% | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $116K | +8% | 1,880 |
| Minnesota | $116K | +8% | 1,080 |
| Connecticut | $115K | +7% | 450 |
| Ohio | $113K | +6% | 730 |
| Alaska | $110K | +3% | 260 |
| Nevada | $110K | +2% | 290 |
| New Mexico | $108K | +1% | 500 |
| Illinois | $108K | +1% | 940 |
| Hawaii | $108K | +1% | 150 |
| Kentucky | $108K | +0% | 350 |
| Colorado | $107K | -0% | 1,320 |
| Wyoming | $106K | -1% | 200 |
| Michigan | $105K | -2% | 810 |
| Virginia | $105K | -2% | 1,010 |
| Utah | $103K | -3% | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $103K | -4% | 1,750 |
| Alabama | $103K | -4% | 780 |
| New Jersey | $103K | -4% | 990 |
| New York | $101K | -5% | 3,170 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | -6% | 200 |
| Montana | $100K | -7% | 300 |
| North Carolina | $99K | -7% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $99K | -8% | 90 |
| Missouri | $98K | -8% | 510 |
| Maryland | $98K | -9% | 1,030 |
| Tennessee | $97K | -9% | 540 |
| Georgia | $97K | -10% | 830 |
| South Carolina | $96K | -10% | 560 |
| Delaware | $96K | -11% | 150 |
| Iowa | $95K | -11% | 150 |
| Kansas | $94K | -12% | 320 |
| Arizona | $94K | -12% | 690 |
| Maine | $94K | -12% | 220 |
| Vermont | $93K | -14% | 110 |
| Indiana | $92K | -14% | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $92K | -14% | 530 |
| North Dakota | $91K | -15% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $91K | -15% | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $90K | -16% | 890 |
| New Hampshire | $89K | -17% | 210 |
| Arkansas | $85K | -20% | 210 |
| West Virginia | $83K | -22% | 370 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track environmental engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 32.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,686/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental engineers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,790/month. At HUD’s $1,686/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental engineer a high-paying job in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $83K here vs. $107K nationally.
How does Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia compare to the national average for environmental engineers?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — below the national median.
How much do environmental engineers make in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The median is $82,840 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,160, and experienced environmental engineers can clear $137,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,245/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,686/month, which eats 32.1% 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 environmental engineers salary go in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia has a Regional Price Parity of 97.35 (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 environmental engineers salary is worth about $85,095 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental engineers 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.