Average Salaries in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
Explore salaries across 201 occupations in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $59K, -10.3% 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: 201 occupations and 36,870 total jobs in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC.
How the metro compares
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $338.2K | 240 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $168.9K | 30 |
| Marketing Managers | $148.6K | 30 |
| Financial Managers | $146.8K | 110 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $137.5K | 70 |
| Pharmacists | $132.2K | 90 |
| Physician Assistants | $131.8K | 130 |
| Software Developers | $130.2K | 200 |
| Veterinarians | $126.2K | 50 |
| Managers, All Other | $124.9K | 110 |
Largest occupations in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 1,510 | $81.5K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,370 | $30K |
| Cashiers | 1,090 | $27.7K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,040 | $34.1K |
| Medical Secretaries And Administrative Assistants | 970 | $37.9K |
| Nursing Assistants | 950 | $36.9K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 950 | $31.2K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 880 | $27.2K |
| Landscaping And Groundskeeping Workers | 750 | $35.6K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 730 | $26.6K |
What Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Amusement And Recreation Attendants | 5.81 | $23.2K |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 5.13 | N/A |
| Helpers--Electricians | 5.04 | $41.4K |
| Sewing Machine Operators | 4.55 | $28.6K |
| Food Preparation And Serving Related Workers, All Other | 4.30 | $30.2K |
| Pipelayers | 4.21 | $40.2K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 4.10 | $26.6K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Landscaping, Lawn Service, And Groundskeeping Workers | 3.98 | $54.1K |
| Surgical Technologists | 3.89 | $56.5K |
| Medical Secretaries And Administrative Assistants | 3.64 | $37.9K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
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 metros 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.