Engineering Graduate Salaries in North Carolina
Federal earnings data for every North Carolina college offering Engineering, ranked by 10-year median graduate salary. Sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard — real tax-reported income, not surveys.
Engineering in North Carolina. Engineering bachelor's degrees consistently top the federal earnings data for new graduates. ABET-accredited programs are the standard requirement for licensure and most engineering jobs.
Typical career paths: Mechanical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Environmental Engineer. Median starting salary range: $72,000–$110,000. School choice can swing graduate earnings by 30–60% — which is why we rank by federal data, not prestige.
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University Durham, NC | $113,937 | $23,706 |
| 2 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | $104,443 | $28,165 |
| 3 | Elon University Elon, NC | $82,524 | $35,785 |
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | $81,094 | $11,305 |
| 5 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | $77,810 | $16,486 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC | $63,486 | $15,142 |
| 7 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC | $61,019 | $19,570 |
| 8 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC | $60,387 | $16,880 |
| 9 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC | $59,026 | $25,057 |
| 10 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC | $58,736 | $29,421 |
| 11 | Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, NC | $54,752 | $18,641 |
| 12 | Methodist University Fayetteville, NC | $54,558 | $25,760 |
| 13 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | $53,764 | $13,025 |
| 14 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC | $50,562 | $14,999 |
| 15 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC | $50,279 | $9,884 |
| 16 | Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC | $44,849 | $21,397 |
| 17 | Carolina University Winston-Salem, NC | $37,560 | $12,351 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are 10-year median income for graduates of each institution (all majors, since program-level earnings are released only for select fields). Refreshed every 24 hours.
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Frequently asked questions
What do Engineering graduates earn in North Carolina?
The median 10-year earnings for Engineering graduates from North Carolina colleges is $59,026, with a range from $37,560 at lower-earning schools to $113,937 at top-earning schools. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Which North Carolina school has the highest Engineering graduate salary?
Duke University ranks first among North Carolina schools offering Engineering, with a 10-year median graduate salary of $113,937.
How is "graduate salary" measured?
These figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. They reflect actual federal tax-reported income of all graduates 10 years after enrollment — including those who pursued graduate school and those who took industry jobs. They are not survey-based.
Are these salaries adjusted for cost of living?
No. These are raw federal earnings figures. North Carolina salaries should be considered in context of local cost of living. For example, $90,000 in California has different purchasing power than $90,000 in North Carolina.