SOC 49-9041

Industrial Machinery Mechanic Salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

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 75.7% Realized
$46,600 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $61,570 $29.60/hr
Effective Tax Drag 18.31% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$11,276 $433.68/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 $29.60 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,694/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$443/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,765
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,817
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$893
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,801
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$46,600 ($1,792.31 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Industrial Machinery Mechanic Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $61,570
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $41.8k 25th $48.2k Median: $61,570 50th (Median) $61.6k 75th $70.1k 90th $81.5k You: $61,570
10th (Entry) $41,810 $20.10/hr
25th (Junior) $48,220 $23.18/hr
50th (Median) $61,570 $29.60/hr
75th (Senior) $70,120 $33.71/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $81,510 $39.19/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Industrial Machinery Mechanic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
1
Maintenance Mechanic ApprenticePreventive maintenance, hand and power tools, OSHA industrial safety
$40,080$19.27/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Industrial MechanicHydraulics, pneumatics, mechanical blueprint interpretation, alignment
$59,165$28.44/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Maintenance TechnicianPLC diagnostics, predictive vibration analysis, precision overhaul
$74,434$35.79/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Maintenance Supervisor / LeadPlant maintenance schedules, shutdown management, spare parts inventory
$93,519$44.96/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC medianView National Industrial Machinery Mechanic Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Maintenance Workers, Machinery-$3,670/yr
National median: $60,850
Skill overlap: 93%
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers-$8,310/yr
National median: $56,210
Skill overlap: 93%
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines+$990/yr
National median: $65,510
Skill overlap: 93%
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-$17,340/yr
National median: $47,180
Skill overlap: 90%
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)
25% 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$61,570-$11,276$46,600$1,792.31
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$73,114-$14,117$54,611$2,100.41
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$84,659-$17,820$61,759$2,375.34
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$96,203-$21,524$68,907$2,650.27
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$107,748-$25,227$76,055$2,925.21
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

Industrial Machinery Mechanic 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
$61,570/yr
$29.60/hr · SOC 49-9041
Statutory Tax Drag
18.31% Effective
-$11,276 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
25% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,918/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 49-9041
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

Industrial Machinery Mechanic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: Market Snapshot

Industrial Machinery Mechanic roles in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC report a median annual wage of $61,570, 4.6% below the national median of $64,520. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $41,810 to $81,510, and HUD’s $965 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.8% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Industrial Machinery Mechanic

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Longview-Kelso, WA$96,950+57.5%
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$93,670+52.1%
Kokomo, IN$91,470+48.6%
Fairbanks-College, AK$91,330+48.3%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$90,580+47.1%
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT$89,830+45.9%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$89,620+45.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$84,620+37.4%
Wichita, KS$83,540+35.7%
Duluth, MN-WI$83,380+35.4%

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, 391 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.

Industrial Machinery Mechanic Salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Overview

Industrial Machinery Mechanic median pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $61,570 a year ($29.60/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Industrial Machinery Mechanic 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 an Industrial Machinery Mechanic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The median annual wage is $61,570 ($29.60 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $41,810 and $81,510. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for an Industrial Machinery Mechanic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $61,570, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $49,704 a year ($4,142 a month) after $11,866 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 19.27%, using 2026 tax rules.