Average Salaries in Raleigh-Cary, NC
Explore salaries across 568 occupations in Raleigh-Cary, NC. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $64.9K, +5.4% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 568 occupations and 708,740 total jobs in Raleigh-Cary, NC.
How the metro compares
Raleigh-Cary, NC pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Raleigh-Cary, NC is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Psychiatrists. 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 Raleigh-Cary, 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Raleigh-Cary, NC
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $232.1K | 50 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $216.8K | 210 |
| Pediatricians, General | $200.3K | 300 |
| Dentists, General | $182.0K | 1,090 |
| Healthcare Diagnosing Or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $180.0K | 190 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $169.4K | 5,860 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $166.3K | 1,960 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $165.4K | 1,510 |
| Marketing Managers | $163.8K | 2,360 |
| Financial Managers | $162.1K | 3,300 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Raleigh-Cary, NC
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 18,030 | $32.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 16,860 | $35.9K |
| Cashiers | 15,020 | $28.8K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 14,770 | $41.0K |
| Registered Nurses | 12,820 | $84.9K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 12,420 | $34.7K |
| Software Developers | 12,290 | $131.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 11,880 | $30.0K |
| Office Clerks, General | 11,860 | $39.8K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 11,110 | $29.5K |
What Raleigh-Cary, 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Raleigh-Cary, NC
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farm And Home Management Educators | 14.36 | $62.6K |
| Life Scientists, All Other | 8.76 | $131.1K |
| Surveying And Mapping Technicians | 4.92 | $49.5K |
| Family And Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.44 | $99.4K |
| Microbiologists | 4.22 | $80.4K |
| Athletes And Sports Competitors | 4.17 | N/A |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 4.15 | $166.3K |
| Agricultural Technicians | 4.09 | $48.9K |
| Helpers--Electricians | 4.07 | $38.7K |
| Social Science Research Assistants | 3.41 | $63.2K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Raleigh-Cary, 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.