State salary profile · North Carolina

North Carolina Salaries

North Carolina statewide wages plus 15 metro areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC.

$186,414
Mean of top 50 medians
744
Occupations
18
Local wage areas
285,130
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in North Carolina is $186,414.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 744 occupations in North Carolina; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Surgeons, All Other, earns $398,410, versus $26,030 for Shampooers at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 15 metro areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC.

North Carolina · employment ≠ wage

In North Carolina, Retail Salespersons lead by published employment (127,540 jobs, #1 of 719) but rank #693 of 719 on median wage ($31,370), while Surgeons, All Other top the wage list at $398,410 (#1 of 719) with 480 jobs (#554 of 719). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

127,540
Retail Salespersons employment #1
$398,410
Surgeons wage #1
#554
Employment rank of wage leader
#693
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of North Carolina's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Retail Salespersons lead North Carolina by employment; Surgeons, All Other lead on median wage at $398,410.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

North Carolina, the picture in one line

North Carolina ranks #29 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Surgeons, All Other at $398,410. Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC.

#29
of 54 states by published mean wage
$398,410
top-paying: Surgeons, All Other
46th
percentile among all states
Asheville, NC
local OEWS: Asheville, NC and Burlington, NC

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Asheville, NC.

Statewide OEWS footprints behind North Carolina's 18 local areas

Software Developers and Computer and Information Systems Managers lead North Carolina's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Software Developers 58,470 jobs · $134,710
  2. 2. Computer and Information Systems Managers 25,650 jobs · $172,860
  3. 3. Financial Managers 22,460 jobs · $166,780
  4. 4. Managers, All Other 21,830 jobs · $141,160
  5. 5. Lawyers 17,000 jobs · $127,710
  6. 6. Sales Managers 16,920 jobs · $150,470
  7. 7. Physicians, All Other 14,080 jobs · $260,330
  8. 8. Pharmacists 11,430 jobs · $138,860
  9. 9. Marketing Managers 10,790 jobs · $165,480
  10. 10. Nurse Practitioners 9,800 jobs · $128,990
  11. 11. Information Security Analysts 8,670 jobs · $131,540
  12. 12. Physician Assistants 7,490 jobs · $129,360
  13. 13. Architectural and Engineering Managers 6,960 jobs · $167,840
  14. 14. Human Resources Managers 6,480 jobs · $142,990
  15. 15. Natural Sciences Managers 6,010 jobs · $173,870
  16. 16. Dentists, General 4,140 jobs · $207,000
  17. 17. Database Architects 4,070 jobs · $134,630
  18. 18. Nurse Anesthetists 3,340 jobs · $224,610
  19. 19. Financial Risk Specialists 3,200 jobs · $132,040
  20. 20. Veterinarians 2,940 jobs · $129,240

Local BLS wage areas inside North Carolina

Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC.

Asheville, NC Burlington, NC Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area Fayetteville, NC Goldsboro, NC Greensboro-High Point, NC Greenville, NC Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Jacksonville, NC Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC Raleigh-Cary, NC Rocky Mount, NC Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area Wilmington, NC Winston-Salem, NC

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in North Carolina moved from $46,950 in May 2024 to $47,970 in May 2025 (+2.2%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • North Carolina sits -0.6 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in North Carolina

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers publishes $59,560 here versus $93,530 nationally (-36.3%; 5,050statewide jobs). Next is Firefighters at $37,940 locally versus $59,280 nationally (-36.0%).

  1. First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$59,560 in North Carolina sits 36.3% below the national First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers median of $93,530 (5,050 published local jobs).
  2. Firefighters$37,940 in North Carolina sits 36.0% below the national Firefighters median of $59,280 (19,410 published local jobs).
  3. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$59,300 in North Carolina sits 22.2% below the national Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers median of $76,210 (22,370 published local jobs).
  4. Bus Drivers, School$37,460 in North Carolina sits 21.8% below the national Bus Drivers, School median of $47,920 (12,390 published local jobs).

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for North Carolina; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The North Carolina OEWS table has a published median for 744 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 285,130; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $186,414 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC.

At the top of the ranking, Surgeons, All Other pays a North Carolina median of $398,410, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Dermatologists at $367,350, followed by Emergency Medicine Physicians at $339,350. At the bottom of the published range, Shampooers has a median of $26,030, making the displayed endpoint ratio 15.3×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 15 metro areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to North Carolina, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Because North Carolina publishes 18 OEWS areas, treat the statewide Surgeons, All Other median as a roll-up and re-check the same occupation in Asheville, NC or Burlington, NC where BLS releases the row. Tips and commissions stay inside OEWS; benefits and equity do not. Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$186,414

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$398,410

Surgeons, All Other

Where North Carolina ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Asheville, NC and Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

$64,290 Bottom 46% higher than 46% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). This entry sits in this band. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 (this entry) 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$64,290 · 46th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

North Carolina ranks #29 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($64,290). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $64,290 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $68,176. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for North Carolina (RPP 94.3, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in North Carolina

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 744 distinct occupations in North Carolina. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in North Carolina, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published North Carolina jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Software Developers $134,710
2 Computer and Information Systems Managers $172,860
3 Financial Managers $166,780
4 Managers, All Other $141,160
5 Lawyers $127,710
6 Sales Managers $150,470
7 Physicians, All Other $260,330
8 Pharmacists $138,860
9 Marketing Managers $165,480
10 Nurse Practitioners $128,990
11 Information Security Analysts $131,540
12 Physician Assistants $129,360
13 Architectural and Engineering Managers $167,840
14 Human Resources Managers $142,990
15 Natural Sciences Managers $173,870
16 Dentists, General $207,000
17 Database Architects $134,630
18 Nurse Anesthetists $224,610
19 Financial Risk Specialists $132,040
20 Veterinarians $129,240
21 Purchasing Managers $138,710
22 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $151,540
23 Chief Executives $314,290
24 General Internal Medicine Physicians $289,780
25 Family Medicine Physicians $215,230
26 Public Relations Managers $132,280
27 Computer Hardware Engineers $134,670
28 Optometrists $161,560
29 Compensation and Benefits Managers $135,240
30 Dermatologists $367,350
31 Pediatricians, General $183,550
32 Emergency Medicine Physicians $339,350
33 Psychiatrists $168,880
34 Actuaries $128,730
35 Computer and Information Research Scientists $128,370
36 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $134,540
37 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $323,630
38 Surgeons, All Other $398,410
39 Nuclear Engineers $131,850
40 Air Traffic Controllers $129,230
41 Physicians, Pathologists $248,940
42 Economists $136,150
43 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $129,960
44 Podiatrists $215,420
45 Neurologists $325,550
46 Orthodontists $224,990
47 Physicists $174,180
48 Medical Dosimetrists $147,830
49 Dentists, All Other Specialists $225,990
50 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $224,040

Lowest Paying Jobs in North Carolina

Occupation Median Salary
Shampooers $26,030
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials $26,540
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $26,680
Cooks, Fast Food $27,190
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $27,310
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $27,560
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $28,320
Fast Food and Counter Workers $28,570
Cashiers $28,880
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other $29,000
Childcare Workers $29,140
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $29,300
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $29,790
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $29,900
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $30,160
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $30,260
Food Preparation Workers $30,260
Dishwashers $30,340
Parking Attendants $30,540
Animal Caretakers $30,870
Dietetic Technicians $31,010
Barbers $31,050
Cooks, All Other $31,120
Home Health and Personal Care Aides $31,240
Cooks, Short Order $31,290

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in North Carolina. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside North Carolina. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($64,290 here) and reported employment (4,941,820 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related North Carolina pages

Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC.

Asheville, NC

Local OEWS wage area

Burlington, NC

Local OEWS wage area

Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Local OEWS wage area

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Local OEWS wage area

Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in North Carolina

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in North Carolina

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Surgeons, All Other

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in North Carolina? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $186,414/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in North Carolina? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $64,290/year for North Carolina in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 29th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in North Carolina? ▼
The highest paying occupation in North Carolina is Surgeons, All Other with a median salary of $398,410/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Dermatologists at $367,350/year.
What jobs pay the least in North Carolina? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this North Carolina ranking is Shampooers at $26,030/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for North Carolina? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 15 metro areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to North Carolina. Published local OEWS areas include Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, then Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Greenville, NC, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC, Jacksonville, NC. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for North Carolina? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 744 distinct occupations in North Carolina. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 285,130 jobs in covered establishments.

Local-area sources inside North Carolina

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS OEWS metro area tables → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use North Carolina wage data in a real decision

  • North Carolina has 18 published OEWS areas starting with Asheville, NC; open Surgeons, All Other inside a metro before using the statewide $398,410 median. Asheville, NC
  • Inside North Carolina, re-check Surgeons, All Other in Asheville, NC, Burlington, NC, Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC or Durham-Chapel Hill, NC before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Asheville, NC
  • Open Surgeons, All Other for percentile bands and local-area rows; North Carolina's statewide median of $398,410 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Surgeons, All Other
  • The published North Carolina range runs from Shampooers at $26,030 to Surgeons, All Other at $398,410; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.