SOC 17-3023

Building Automation Specialist Salary in Hickory-Lenoir, NC (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + NC
COL Index: 99.38 (-0.6% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.8% Realized
$58,082 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $78,720 $37.85/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.22% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$15,915 $612.12/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $37.85 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,723/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,039/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$7,449
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,881
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,141
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,444
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$58,082 ($2,233.91 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Building Automation Specialist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $78,720
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $54.9k 25th $66.1k Median: $78,720 50th (Median) $78.7k 75th $84.8k 90th $98.3k You: $78,720
10th (Entry) $54,900 $26.39/hr
25th (Junior) $66,100 $31.78/hr
50th (Median) $78,720 $37.85/hr
75th (Senior) $84,850 $40.79/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $98,350 $47.28/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Building Automation Specialist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
1
BMS Field TechnicianHVAC controls fundamentals, sensor wiring, low-voltage safety
$52,352$25.17/hr · 0-2 Years
2
BAS Programmer / SpecialistBACnet, Modbus protocols, direct digital control (DDC) programming
$74,502$35.82/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Controls EngineerSmart building integration, energy management modeling, commissioning
$96,651$46.47/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Automation Project ManagerCommercial building automation projects, client contract management
$120,813$58.08/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC medianView National Building Automation Specialist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians-$4,290/yr
National median: $73,900
Skill overlap: 89%
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer+$52,030/yr
National median: $130,220
Skill overlap: 86%
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians-$3,680/yr
National median: $74,510
Skill overlap: 85%
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment-$4,100/yr
National median: $74,090
Skill overlap: 85%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
20% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $965/month Requires minimum annual gross of $38,600
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,147/month Requires minimum annual gross of $45,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.98/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $18.64/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$78,720-$15,915$58,082$2,233.91
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$93,480-$20,650$67,221$2,585.42
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$108,240-$25,385$76,360$2,936.93
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$123,000-$30,120$85,500$3,288.45
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$137,760-$35,009$94,485$3,634.04
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Building Automation Specialist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and North Carolina tax codes.

Market Baseline
$78,720/yr
$37.85/hr · SOC 17-3023
Statutory Tax Drag
20.22% Effective
-$15,915 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
20% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,875/mo
Post-$965/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 17-3023
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Building Automation Specialist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: Market Snapshot

Building Automation Specialist roles in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC report a median annual wage of $78,720, 0.7% above the national median of $78,190. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $54,900 to $98,350, and HUD’s $965 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 14.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Building Automation Specialist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$106,250+35.0%
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$103,480+31.5%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$103,170+31.1%
Lexington Park, MD$102,640+30.4%
Baton Rouge, LA$102,380+30.1%
Albuquerque, NM$102,250+29.9%
Casper, WY$99,840+26.8%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$98,180+24.7%
Lake Charles, LA$97,740+24.2%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$97,680+24.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$312,730$150.35/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$170,730$82.08/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$163,010$78.37/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$162,690$78.22/hr
Marketing Managers$151,190$72.69/hr
Financial Manager$138,150$66.42/hr
Purchasing Managers$132,570$63.74/hr
Sales Managers$132,060$63.49/hr
Physician Assistant$127,210$61.16/hr
Nurse Practitioner$126,620$60.88/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 241 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Building Automation Specialist Salary in Hickory-Lenoir, NC (2026) Overview

Building Automation Specialist median pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $78,720 a year ($37.85/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Building Automation Specialist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Building Automation Specialist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The median annual wage is $78,720 ($37.85 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $54,900 and $98,350. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Building Automation Specialist in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $78,720, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $61,577 a year ($5,131 a month) after $17,143 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.78%, using 2026 tax rules.