Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Materials Engineers actually take home in North Carolina?
4.5% flat rate — 26.3% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Materials Engineers earning $104,240 in North Carolina (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $104,240 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$14,773 | 14.2% |
| North Carolina State Income Tax | -$4,690 | 4.5% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,462 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,511 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$27,438 | 26.3% |
| Take-Home Pay | $76,801 | 73.7% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Materials Engineers in North Carolina.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $78,160 | -$18,532 | $59,627 | 23.7% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $86,400 | -$21,346 | $65,053 | 24.7% |
| Median (P50) | $104,240 | -$27,438 | $76,801 | 26.3% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $127,560 | -$35,651 | $91,908 | 27.9% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $153,570 | -$45,054 | $108,515 | 29.3% |
After federal income tax ($14,773), state tax ($4,690), and FICA ($7,974), a Materials Engineers in North Carolina takes home $76,801 per year — or $6,400 per month. The effective tax rate of 26.3% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Materials Engineers in North Carolina loses 26.3% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $104,240 gross, $76,801 lands in the paycheck after federal ($14,774), state ($4,691), and FICA ($7,974) withholding.
North Carolina applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Materials Engineers salary that contributes $4,691 to the 4.5% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Materials Engineers salary is $14,774 (54%), but combined state ($4,691, 17%) + FICA ($7,974, 29%) make up the other 46% of the bill.
Moving this same Materials Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $81,492 net — a gain of $4,691 (6.1%) per year versus North Carolina.
North Carolina ranks #26 of 45 states for Materials Engineers after-tax pay — lower half of the national distribution. Either gross wages trail the national median, state tax is elevated, or both.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $76,801 net/year works out to $6,400/month or $2,954/bi-weekly for this Materials Engineers in North Carolina — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Materials Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
North Carolina ranks #26 out of 45 states for Materials Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Materials Engineers in North Carolina earning a median salary of $104,240 will take home approximately $76,801 per year after federal income tax ($14,773), state income tax ($4,690), and FICA ($7,974). That is $6,400 per month or $2,953 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Materials Engineers in North Carolina is 26.3%, broken down as: federal income tax 14.2%, North Carolina state tax 4.5%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
North Carolina has a 4.5% flat rate. On a Materials Engineers's median salary of $104,240, the state income tax amounts to $4,690 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.5%.
After all taxes, a Materials Engineers in North Carolina takes home approximately $6,400 per month, or about $36.92 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $104,240 for Materials Engineers in North Carolina, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), North Carolina state income tax (4.5% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $76,801/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR