Average Salaries in North Carolina
Explore salaries across 762 occupations in North Carolina. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $67.7K, +2.9% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 762 occupations and 4,917,060 total jobs in North Carolina.
How the state compares
Wages in North Carolina track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
North Carolina has a large and diverse labor market, with meaningful employment across most occupations.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Surgeons, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in North Carolina
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in North Carolina
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other | $398.4K | 480 |
| Dermatologists | $367.4K | 800 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $339.4K | 710 |
| Neurologists | $325.6K | 180 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $323.6K | 560 |
| Chief Executives | $314.3K | 1,930 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $289.8K | 1,700 |
| Physicians, All Other | $260.3K | 14,080 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $248.9K | 340 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $226K | 130 |
Largest occupations in North Carolina
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 127,540 | $31.4K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 116,720 | $38.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 111,120 | $84.4K |
| Cashiers | 106,440 | $28.9K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 92,230 | $28.6K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 89,510 | $40.2K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 87,510 | $36K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 81,980 | $27.2K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 71,940 | $32.2K |
| Office Clerks, General | 67,930 | $41.8K |
What North Carolina specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in North Carolina than in the country as a whole, which signals what this state is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in North Carolina
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Textile Knitting And Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 6.60 | $36.7K |
| Upholsterers | 6.33 | $50.6K |
| Textile Winding, Twisting, And Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 5.98 | $36.6K |
| Textile Bleaching And Dyeing Machine Operators And Tenders | 5.79 | $37.6K |
| Tire Builders | 5.68 | $64K |
| Cutters And Trimmers, Hand | 5.51 | $47.9K |
| Extruding And Forming Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Synthetic And Glass Fibers | 4.85 | $40.1K |
| Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators And Tenders | 4.35 | $34.8K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 4.02 | $27.2K |
| Pipelayers | 3.65 | $47.2K |
Comparable states
| State | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89.7K | Neurologists |
| Washington | $86.5K | Cardiologists |
| New York | $83.2K | Cardiologists |
| California | $83.2K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Massachusetts | $81.2K | Radiologists |
| New Jersey | $80.4K | Radiologists |
| Minnesota | $79.9K | Radiologists |
| Alaska | $79.6K | Emergency Medicine Physicians |
Metros inside North Carolina
Salaries can vary a lot within a single state. Urban metro areas typically pay more than rural regions, and specific industries cluster in particular cities. Drill into any metro below for its own full salary breakdown.
Major metros in North Carolina
| Metro | Average median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $70.9K | 1,343,480 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $68.7K | 727,980 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $63.7K | 357,820 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $71.5K | 299,900 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $63.9K | 259,960 |
| Wilmington, NC | $64.3K | 184,430 |
| Asheville, NC | $64.3K | 173,200 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $59.6K | 148,770 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $62.8K | 122,850 |
| Greenville, NC | $62K | 73,550 |
Common salary questions for North Carolina
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other states with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.