Sales Engineers Salary
The median pay for a sales engineers in Raleigh-Cary, NC is $129,520/year ($62.27/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $260K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $131,948 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,750/month, or 21.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $130K 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 sales engineers
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What this looks like in Raleigh-Cary
Sales engineers pay in Raleigh-Cary tracks closely to the national median, $130K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 4% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,750/month, 22.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) 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 sales engineers in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $111K | $114K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $175K | $180K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $106K | $114K |
| Asheville | $111K | $115K |
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 sales engineers (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $130K. Top earners bring in $260K or more, a $180K spread from bottom to top.
Sales Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sales Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $167K | +34% | 80 |
| Maryland | $153K | +23% | 850 |
| Rhode Island | $150K | +20% | 30 |
| Washington | $148K | +18% | 760 |
| Colorado | $140K | +12% | 2,800 |
| California | $139K | +11% | 6,310 |
| New Jersey | $139K | +11% | 1,760 |
| New York | $137K | +10% | 3,150 |
| Massachusetts | $136K | +9% | 3,150 |
| West Virginia | $135K | +8% | 40 |
| Arizona | $132K | +6% | 1,000 |
| Arkansas | $131K | +5% | 30 |
| Texas | $131K | +5% | 6,800 |
| Oregon | $128K | +3% | 540 |
| Idaho | $128K | +3% | 360 |
| Florida | $126K | +1% | 2,410 |
| Connecticut | $124K | -1% | 760 |
| Louisiana | $122K | -3% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $122K | -3% | 2,530 |
| New Mexico | $119K | -4% | 80 |
| South Dakota | $119K | -5% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $118K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Utah | $118K | -6% | 480 |
| Vermont | $117K | -6% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $115K | -8% | 290 |
| South Carolina | $114K | -9% | 770 |
| Michigan | $114K | -9% | 2,290 |
| Tennessee | $112K | -11% | 530 |
| New Hampshire | $108K | -14% | 300 |
| Alabama | $104K | -16% | 220 |
| Minnesota | $101K | -19% | 990 |
| Illinois | $100K | -20% | 1,150 |
| Nevada | $99K | -21% | 320 |
| Georgia | $99K | -21% | 1,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $99K | -21% | 1,980 |
| Kansas | $98K | -22% | 220 |
| Ohio | $97K | -22% | 1,210 |
| Maine | $95K | -24% | 140 |
| Missouri | $91K | -27% | 710 |
| Kentucky | $90K | -28% | 380 |
| Nebraska | $90K | -28% | 130 |
| Iowa | $83K | -33% | 310 |
| Indiana | $75K | -40% | 980 |
| Alaska | $71K | -43% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sales engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
Related careers in Sales
Frequently asked questions
Can a sales engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
Yes — at the median salary of $130K, rent takes 22.5% 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 sales engineers in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sales engineers typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,774/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sales engineer a high-paying job in Raleigh-Cary?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $130K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for sales engineers?
Raleigh-Cary pays $130K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $132K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sales engineers make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $129,520 a year, that works out to about $62 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,570, and experienced sales engineers can clear $259,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $130K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,788/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 22.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a sales 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 sales engineers salary is worth about $131,948 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sales 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.