Cybersecurity Degree in Wilmington, NC — Salary & ROI 2026
Cybersecurity degree analysis for Wilmington, NC. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$76K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$109K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.6 yrs
in Wilmington
Cost of Living
95
index (100 = avg)
Cybersecurity in Wilmington, NC Overview
While Wilmington has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, Cybersecurity students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $9,779/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Cybersecurity has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Network Security and Ethical Hacking skills. The adjusted starting salary in Wilmington is approximately $76,000.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$7,287/yr
Private Tuition
$34,393/yr
Room & Board
$9,779/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,831/yr
Unemployment
6.8%
Graduation Rate
48%
Cybersecurity Salary in Wilmington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Wilmington's cost of living index of 95 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cybersecurity salary: $80,000 starting, $115,000 mid-career, $145,000 senior level.Wilmington adjustment factor: 0.95x based on the local cost of living index.
Cybersecurity ROI Calculator for Wilmington
Estimate your return on investment for a Cybersecurity degree using local Wilmington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $7,287 | Private avg: $34,393
Wilmington avg aid: $13,831/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$68,264
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$42,750
vs HS diploma in Wilmington
ROI Payback Period
1.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Wilmington
$929,236
Lifetime earnings premium ($997,500) minus total education cost ($68,264)
Student Loan Payoff for Cybersecurity in Wilmington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Wilmington for Cybersecurity
University of North Carolina Wilmington
public
$7,287/yr
$29,148 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Cape Fear Community College
$2,864/yr
Top Employers for Cybersecurity in Wilmington
Wilmington offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cybersecurity graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Wilmington Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cybersecurity Job Titles
Cybersecurity in Nearby North Carolina Cities
Charlotte, NC
$71K starting · COL 89
39 colleges
Raleigh, NC
$66K starting · COL 83
21 colleges
Greensboro, NC
$73K starting · COL 91
17 colleges
Durham, NC
$87K starting · COL 109
25 colleges
Winston-Salem, NC
$85K starting · COL 106
26 colleges
Fayetteville, NC
$72K starting · COL 90
15 colleges
Cary, NC
$87K starting · COL 108.5
7 colleges
High Point, NC
$68K starting · COL 84.5
5 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Wilmington
Prompt Engineering
$48K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$90K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$81K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$84K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$78K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$48K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$48K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$48K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Cybersecurity Degree in Wilmington — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Cybersecurity ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Wilmington.