Environmental Engineers Salary
In Raleigh-Cary, NC, environmental engineers earn $102,980 at the median, or about $49.51 an hour. The range runs from $69K at the entry level to $153K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $104,910 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,750/month, or 26.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $103K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). 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 Raleigh-Cary
Environmental engineers pay in Raleigh-Cary tracks closely to the national median, $103K locally vs. $107K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,750/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental engineers in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $83K | $85K |
| 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, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level environmental engineers (10th percentile) start around $69K. Mid-career wages sit at $103K. Top earners bring in $153K or more, a $85K 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 Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
Yes — at the median salary of $103K, rent takes 27.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental engineers in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental engineers typically earn — is $69K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,116/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $103K locally vs. $107K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for environmental engineers?
Raleigh-Cary pays $103K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $105K — below the national median.
How much do environmental engineers make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $102,980 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $68,600, and experienced environmental engineers can clear $153,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $103K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,350/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 27.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a environmental engineers salary go in Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (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 $104,910 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.