Salary data is based on the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area and applied to Durham using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Electronics Engineers Salaries in Durham, NC

Average Base Pay

$117,841/yr

1% below national average

Monthly

$9,820

Hourly

$57

Cost Index

Electronics Engineers in Durham, NC earn an average of $117,841 per year, with most salaries falling between $94,273 and $141,409 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 1% below the national average, Durham offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 94. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Durham.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$88K
Low

$118K
Median

$147K
High

25th percentile: $100K75th percentile: $136K

About Electronics Engineers

Electrical Engineers design, develop, and test electrical systems and components including power generation and distribution systems, electronic circuits, communication systems, control systems, and embedded systems. The field spans power engineering, electronics, signal processing, telecommunications, and embedded systems design. Power engineers design high-voltage transmission systems, substations, and electrical distribution networks. Electronics engineers design printed circuit boards, analog and digital circuits, and microelectronic devices. Embedded systems engineers develop firmware and hardware for microcontrollers in products ranging from appliances to aerospace systems. Control engineers design feedback and automation systems for manufacturing, robotics, and process control. Electrical engineers use simulation tools such as MATLAB, Simulink, SPICE, and Altium Designer, and must translate theoretical designs into physical hardware that meets performance, reliability, and regulatory requirements. They work in energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics industries. PE licensure is required for power systems engineers working on public utility projects.

What Electronics Engineers Do

Design electrical systems, circuits, and components for products or infrastructure
Develop schematics and PCB layouts using EDA tools
Perform circuit analysis, simulation, and validation testing
Specify electrical components and materials for design requirements
Develop firmware for embedded systems and microcontrollers
Ensure designs meet safety standards and regulatory requirements
Collaborate with mechanical engineers, software engineers, and manufacturing teams
Troubleshoot and resolve electrical system failures

Key Skills & Qualifications

Circuit design and analysis (analog and digital)
PCB design using Altium Designer, KiCad, or Eagle
MATLAB and Simulink for modeling and simulation
Embedded C/C++ programming for microcontrollers
Power systems fundamentals and electrical code knowledge
Oscilloscope, multimeter, and laboratory instrument proficiency
PE licensure (required for power engineering roles)
Cross-disciplinary collaboration with mechanical and software teams

Career Path

Electrical Engineer I / EIT
Electrical Engineer II
Senior Electrical Engineer
Principal / Staff Engineer
Engineering Manager / Chief Engineer

Electronics Engineers Market in Durham, NC

Salary Competitiveness

Durham salaries for Electronics Engineers track closely with the national median, diverging by less than 4%. This alignment suggests a competitive but balanced local market—employers are broadly in step with national pay scales, which can make benchmark comparisons more reliable when negotiating.

Cost of Living Impact

Durham sits close to the national cost average. Monthly essential expenses represent about 35% of take-home pay for this role—a midrange ratio that allows for modest savings and discretionary spending, provided housing costs remain stable.

Effective Purchasing Power

After adjusting for local taxes and cost of living, a Electronics Engineers earning $117,841 in Durham reaches a strong purchasing-power position. The effective standard of living this income supports is materially higher than the gross number alone implies—a useful data point for professionals comparing offers across metro areas.

vs. National Avg

-1%

Cost Pressure

35%

Purchasing Power

Strong

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

Annual Salary

Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$86,024

Monthly

$7,169

Weekly

$1,654

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $117,841 for a Electronics Engineers in Durham translates to roughly $7,169 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,520—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $4,649 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Durham's current market.

How far does this salary go in Durham?

Cost of Living in Durham

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Durham, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,450/mo

🍔Food & Groceries$480/mo

🚗Transportation$130/mo

💡Utilities$160/mo

🏥Healthcare$300/mo

Monthly$2,520

Annual$30,240

Disposable Income$4,649

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Durham to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$7,169

Living Costs

$2,520

Disposable

$4,649

Cost Index

Lifestyle

Comfortable

With a monthly take-home of $7,169, your estimated living costs in Durham are $2,520 ($30,240/yr). This leaves $4,649 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Durham's cost of living is 6% below the national average.

Overall, a Electronics Engineers earning $117,841 in Durham falls into a comfortable lifestyle tier and has meaningful room to save, invest, and absorb unexpected expenses without financial stress. With a cost index of 94, Durham is 6% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Durham continue to evolve.