How much do Mechanical Engineers make in Wilmington, NC?

Percentile spread

For Mechanical Engineers, the published 10th percentile is $72,510 and the 90th percentile is $164,020. The difference is $91,510, which is 90.5% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $81,270 to the 75th at $126,610, covers $45,340.

The mean annual wage is $109,790, which sits above the median of $101,100. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Wilmington, NC median is 2.9% lower than the national median of $104,110 for Mechanical Engineers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $104,852, which is 0.7% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 0.4% higher than the North Carolina median of $100,720.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Wilmington, NC is 96.422, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $101,100 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Mechanical Engineers at $104,852 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

17 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Mechanical Engineers. Wilmington, NC ranks 10th of 18 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Jacksonville, NC is 47 miles away, with a median of $99,780 and employment of 50. That median is 1.3% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $108,356, against $104,852 here.
• Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC is 59 miles away, with a median of $120,070 and employment of 60. That median is 18.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $128,222, against $104,852 here.
• Goldsboro, NC is 76 miles away, with a median of $101,800 and employment of 30. That median is 0.7% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $115,078, against $104,852 here.

Employment share

Mechanical Engineers accounts for 0.10% of wage-and-salary employment in Wilmington, NC (190 of 191,280). Nationally the occupation is 0.19% of employment (296,810 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.52 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.