Salaries · United States · North Carolina
Salaries in North Carolina 2026
The median pay for all jobs in North Carolina is $47,970 a year ($23.06 an hour), 6% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 35th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in North Carolina earn a median of $56,091 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in North Carolina: the key figures
| Figure | North Carolina | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $47,970 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $64,290 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $28,580 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $119,640 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 4,941,820 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $56,091 ± $271 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $72,388 ± $324 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 94.3 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $47,970, a single person keeps about $39,319 a year ($3,277 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, North Carolina income tax. With prices 6% below the US average, $47,970 here buys what $50,900 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $47,970 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,576 |
| Social Security | -$2,974 |
| Medicare | -$696 |
| North Carolina income tax | -$1,405 |
| Take-home a year | $39,319 |
What drives pay in North Carolina
North Carolina pairs a big banking center and a growing research economy with a large factory base and many lower-paid service jobs. Banking and credit made up 7.6% of the state's GDP in 2025, against 4.0% nationally (BEA), and the state Commerce Department describes Charlotte as the third-largest banking center in the US. Manufacturing was 12.4% of GDP (US 9.5%), with food, beverage and tobacco at 3.2% (US 1.2%) and chemicals, which include pharmaceuticals, also at 3.2% (US 1.9%). At the top, there are 1,930 chief executives on a median of $314,290.
The most common jobs pull the median down. Retail salespersons (127,540, median $31,370), hand laborers and freight movers ($38,230) and cashiers ($28,880) are all near the top of the list, and the all-jobs median is $47,970, 6% below the US and 35th of the 50 states and DC.
The economy is growing quickly in output and investment. Real GDP rose 20.2% from 2019 to 2025, against 15.6% for the US. The Commerce Department's April 2026 report counts 35,182 jobs announced through economic development projects in 2025, including 14,564 at JetZero's $4.7 billion manufacturing project in Guilford County, plus a $10 billion Amazon investment in Richmond County. Jobs grew 1.6% in 2025, with finance and insurance adding 8,200, but factory employment is shrinking: manufacturing lost 7,200 jobs over the year and in December 2025 was 23,100 jobs below its December 2019 level.
The highest-paid jobs in North Carolina
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 1,930 | $314,290 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,700 | $289,780 |
| Physicians, All Other | 14,080 | $260,330 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 3,340 | $224,610 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,520 | $215,230 |
| Dentists, General | 4,140 | $207,000 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 6,010 | $173,870 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 25,650 | $172,860 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 6,960 | $167,840 |
| Financial Managers | 22,460 | $166,780 |
| Marketing Managers | 10,790 | $165,480 |
| Optometrists | 1,140 | $161,560 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 2,240 | $151,540 |
| Sales Managers | 16,920 | $150,470 |
| Human Resources Managers | 6,480 | $142,990 |
The most common jobs in North Carolina
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 127,540 | $31,370 | $15.08 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 116,720 | $38,230 | $18.38 |
| Registered Nurses | 111,120 | $84,350 | $40.56 |
| Cashiers | 106,440 | $28,880 | $13.89 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 92,230 | $28,570 | $13.74 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 89,510 | $40,240 | $19.35 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 87,510 | $35,950 | $17.29 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 81,980 | $27,190 | $13.07 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 71,940 | $32,150 | $15.46 |
| Office Clerks, General | 67,930 | $41,770 | $20.08 |
| Nursing Assistants | 64,010 | $38,460 | $18.49 |
| General and Operations Managers | 63,740 | $101,950 | $49.01 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 62,400 | $51,530 | $24.77 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 58,880 | $31,240 | $15.02 |
| Software Developers | 58,470 | $134,710 | $64.76 |
Pay for careers we cover, in North Carolina
Official BLS medians for North Carolina; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 3,340 | $224,610 |
| Dentist | 4,140 | $207,000 |
| Pharmacist | 11,430 | $138,860 |
| Software Engineer | 58,470 | $134,710 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 8,670 | $131,540 |
| Physician Assistant | 7,490 | $129,360 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 410 | $129,230 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 9,800 | $128,990 |
| Actuary | 610 | $128,730 |
| Lawyer | 17,000 | $127,710 |
| Commercial Pilot | 1,520 | $127,310 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 650 | $122,930 |
| Data Scientist | 11,430 | $119,090 |
| Elevator Technician | 240 | $107,700 |
| Financial Analyst | 12,710 | $102,390 |
| Project Manager | 36,200 | $100,820 |
| UX Designer | 3,400 | $97,990 |
| Dental Hygienist | 6,690 | $97,850 |
| Registered Nurse | 111,120 | $84,350 |
| Accountant | 49,270 | $82,050 |
| Compliance Officer | 11,320 | $78,500 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 4,700 | $76,980 |
| Paralegal | 13,650 | $57,500 |
| HVAC Technician | 15,230 | $57,260 |
| Plumber | 14,510 | $57,080 |
| Electrician | 21,640 | $56,800 |
| Welder | 11,750 | $50,590 |
North Carolina and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $47,970 | 94.3 | $50,900 |
| Georgia | $48,170 | 96.3 | $50,000 |
| South Carolina | $46,490 | 93.7 | $49,600 |
| Tennessee | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,600 |
| Virginia | $55,690 | 101.1 | $55,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in North Carolina, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- North Carolina Department of Commerce: Business and Financial Services, undated page, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- North Carolina Department of Commerce: Annual Evaluation of North Carolina Economic Performance (letter to the Governor and General Assembly leaders), 1 Apr 2026
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States