Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics Salary
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $49,930 a year, or about $24.01 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $51,174 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 49.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K 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 outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 51.4% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $48K | $49K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $49K | $50K |
| Wilmington | $46K | $47K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $45K | $48K |
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 outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $60K | +26% | 50 |
| Hawaii | $58K | +21% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +21% | 800 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | +20% | 210 |
| Nevada | $57K | +19% | 170 |
| Connecticut | $57K | +18% | 560 |
| Minnesota | $56K | +17% | 630 |
| Idaho | $55K | +16% | 190 |
| Missouri | $55K | +15% | 690 |
| Delaware | $54K | +13% | 80 |
| Washington | $54K | +13% | 590 |
| Colorado | $53K | +10% | 690 |
| Rhode Island | $52K | +9% | 100 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +9% | 660 |
| Vermont | $51K | +7% | 110 |
| Utah | $51K | +6% | 250 |
| California | $51K | +6% | 2,470 |
| New York | $51K | +6% | 1,480 |
| North Dakota | $51K | +6% | 190 |
| Oregon | $50K | +4% | 280 |
| Nebraska | $50K | +4% | 300 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +1% | 1,020 |
| Maine | $48K | +0% | 300 |
| Montana | $48K | +0% | 190 |
| Florida | $48K | -0% | 3,450 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -1% | 660 |
| Virginia | $47K | -1% | 1,240 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -1% | 1,950 |
| Georgia | $47K | -1% | 1,620 |
| Indiana | $47K | -1% | 1,150 |
| Michigan | $47K | -2% | 1,860 |
| Arizona | $47K | -3% | 1,050 |
| Kansas | $47K | -3% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | -3% | 1,590 |
| Illinois | $46K | -4% | 780 |
| Ohio | $46K | -4% | 1,480 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -4% | 1,200 |
| Iowa | $46K | -4% | 430 |
| Texas | $46K | -5% | 2,270 |
| Maryland | $46K | -5% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $43K | -10% | 260 |
| Alabama | $43K | -10% | 400 |
| Kentucky | $43K | -10% | 500 |
| Oklahoma | $43K | -11% | 380 |
| New Mexico | $43K | -11% | 110 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -13% | 160 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -18% | 130 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -21% | 150 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -21% | 390 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 51.4% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,813/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 94% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanic a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $49,930 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,210, and experienced outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics can clear $70,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,326/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 51.4% 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 outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics 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 outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics salary is worth about $51,174 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics 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.