SOC 51-9061

Quality Control Inspector 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 77.6% Realized
$33,456 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $43,140 $20.74/hr
Effective Tax Drag 16.45% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$7,096 $272.91/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 $20.74 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,588/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$311/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$2,686
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$2,675
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$626
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,109
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$33,456 ($1,286.77 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Quality Control Inspector Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $43,140
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $35.4k 25th $37.0k Median: $43,140 50th (Median) $43.1k 75th $48.5k 90th $58.3k You: $43,140
10th (Entry) $35,350 $17.00/hr
25th (Junior) $36,980 $17.78/hr
50th (Median) $43,140 $20.74/hr
75th (Senior) $48,470 $23.30/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $58,300 $28.03/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Quality Control Inspector in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
1
QC Inspector ApprenticeVisual inspection, measurement calipers, rejection log documentation
$28,422$13.66/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified Quality InspectorCMM operation, blueprint GD&T interpretation, non-conformance reports
$40,857$19.64/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Quality Assurance TechSix Sigma green belt, statistical process control (SPC), ISO 9001 audits
$55,069$26.48/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Quality Assurance ManagerPlant quality management system, vendor audits, compliance signoff
$72,833$35.02/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC medianView National Quality Control Inspector Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers+$5,140/yr
National median: $53,710
Skill overlap: 84%
Industrial Machinery Mechanics+$15,950/yr
National median: $64,520
Skill overlap: 81%View Salary
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers+$16,810/yr
National median: $65,380
Skill overlap: 81%
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping-$2,190/yr
National median: $46,380
Skill overlap: 78%
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)
35% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
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$43,140-$7,096$33,456$1,286.77
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$51,229-$8,930$39,225$1,508.64
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$59,318-$10,765$44,994$1,730.52
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$67,406-$12,599$50,762$1,952.40
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$75,495-$14,881$56,085$2,157.11
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

Quality Control Inspector 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
$43,140/yr
$20.74/hr · SOC 51-9061
Statutory Tax Drag
16.45% Effective
-$7,096 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
35% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,823/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 51-9061
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

Quality Control Inspector in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: Market Snapshot

Quality Control Inspector roles in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC report a median annual wage of $43,140, 11.2% below the national median of $48,570. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $35,350 to $58,300, and HUD’s $965 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 26.8% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Quality Control Inspector

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lexington Park, MD$92,000+113.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$76,800+78.0%
Savannah, GA$72,800+68.8%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,950+66.8%
Anchorage, AK$71,470+65.7%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$68,060+57.8%
Flagstaff, AZ$65,840+52.6%
Bismarck, ND$63,910+48.1%
Lake Charles, LA$63,570+47.4%
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,520+47.2%

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, 388 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.

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Overview

Quality Control Inspector median pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $43,140 a year ($20.74/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Quality Control Inspector 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 Quality Control Inspector in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The median annual wage is $43,140 ($20.74 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $35,350 and $58,300. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Quality Control Inspector in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $43,140, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $35,630 a year ($2,969 a month) after $7,510 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 17.41%, using 2026 tax rules.