Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in North Carolina is $65,010/year ($31.26/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.66), which stretches that salary to about $70,160 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,284/month, or 29.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of North Carolina. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $65K get you in North Carolina?
About ship engineers
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What this looks like in North Carolina
Pay for ship engineers in North Carolina runs about 41% below the U.S. median of $110K. Rent runs $1,284/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, North Carolina
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track ship engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when North Carolina numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in North Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 30.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,284/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in North Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,742/month. At HUD’s $1,284/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ship engineer a high-paying job in North Carolina?
Local pay runs 41% below the national median — $65K here vs. $110K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does North Carolina compare to the national average for ship engineers?
North Carolina pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s -41%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — below the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in North Carolina?
The median is $65,010 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,360, and experienced ship engineers can clear $96,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in North Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,266/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,284/month, which eats 30.1% 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 ship engineers salary go in North Carolina?
North Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 92.66 (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 ship engineers salary is worth about $70,160 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ship 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.