Entry-level Industrial Engineer salary in Durham, NC

Based on 12 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Research Triangle Park, Apex, Morrisville, Carrboro, Mebane.

Also listed as: Manufacturing Engineer

Median salary$82,670
Middle 50%$76.8k–$90k
vs. all levels here−12%comparison median $94,000
Filings12FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $76,357 and $109,979.
PercentileSalary
10th$76,357
25th$76,839
50th (median)$82,670
75th$90,025
90th$93,604

Cost of living

Durham's median entry-level Industrial Engineer salary of $82,670 is worth about $84,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Durham = 97.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Industrial Engineers in the Durham, NC area earned a median of $102,890 in May 2025 (1,150 employed). The H-1B median here is $82,670, 20% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Wolfspeedtoo few3
ONEUS Technologiestoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $82,670 12
Mid-level · Level II $93,330 36
Senior · Level III too few 4
Expert · Level IV too few 4

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$76,357$82,67012
Mid-level · Level II$93,038$93,33036

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.