Salary guide, May 2025
Quality Engineer pay in Raleigh-Cary, NC
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in Raleigh-Cary, NC was $104,030 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,240 and $130,220.
The Raleigh-Cary, NC median is $1,590 above the national median of $102,440, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
What should you know about raleigh-Cary, NC?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $78,470 | $83,240 | $104,030 | $130,220 | $152,010 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37.73 | $40.02 | $50.01 | $62.61 | $73.08 |
BLS estimated 1,710 workers employed in this occupation in Raleigh-Cary, NC. Location quotient: 0.98.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,370 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 | $159,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.76 | $40.19 | $49.25 | $62.14 | $76.85 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Quality Engineer median is $104,030. The all-occupations median in Raleigh-Cary, NC is $51,990. Ratio: 2.00 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.98 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $81,240 | $101,880 | $126,310 |
| May 2025 | $83,240 | $104,030 | $130,220 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, Raleigh-Cary, NC. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Goldsboro, NC | $97,220 | $77,920 to $103,310 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $92,840 | $82,240 to $117,320 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, industrial engineers report a median of $104,030. This sits higher than the national median of $102,440 for the same occupational code, SOC 17-2112. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that the Raleigh metro maintains a middle band width of $46,980, which is broader than the national middle band width of $45,650. 98.
This indicates that industrial engineering is highly consistent with national occupational concentration levels, providing a stable baseline for hiring quality engineering talent in this region.
The median change in Raleigh was $2,150 between May 2024 and May 2025. Nearby markets report medians of $97,220 in Goldsboro and $92,840 in Rocky Mount. For specialized quality roles, hiring managers should consider national industry medians such as $127,140 for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing and $118,700 for Chemical Manufacturing. These national rows serve as critical proxies for high-responsibility quality roles where mastery of tools like PPAP or root cause analysis is standard. These comparisons are vital when assessing the broad pay profile captured in the SOC 17-2112 data.
BLS reporting is retrospective and does not capture variable pay, such as performance bonuses, equity, or sign-on incentives, which are common for quality engineers with specific ASQ certifications. The P25 and P75 values for Raleigh are $83,240 and $130,220, establishing the interquartile range for base pay. These figures are observed data and represent no guarantee of specific offer amounts. As the industry evolves, the upward movement in the median salary reflects increasing demand for qualified engineers within the region's manufacturing sector. Using these metrics ensures a grounded approach to compensation planning for technical leadership roles.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How does the Raleigh median for industrial engineers compare to national benchmarks?
This reflects a competitive baseline for industrial engineering talent within the region.
What is the significance of the $2,150 median change?
This amount represents the arithmetic increase in the reported median for this metro area since May 2024. It indicates a clear upward trend in the base salaries reported for the industrial engineer occupation in Raleigh.
Why include national industry medians in this guide?
These national rows, such as the $127,140 for Petroleum and Coal Products, account for high-compliance sectors. They are essential to balance against the broad SOC-level data when hiring for specialized quality engineering roles.
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