Salary in North Carolina: -3% Below National

North Carolina balances Charlotte's major banking sector with the Research Triangle's tech, biotech, and pharma cluster around Raleigh-Durham. Manufacturing and agriculture remain important across the rest of the state.

Quick Answer

As of April 2026, salaries in North Carolina run -3% below the US national median. Cost of living index: 95 (vs 100 nationally). State income tax applies. Top hiring metros: Charlotte, Raleigh. Unemployment rate 3.6%. North Carolina balances Charlotte's major banking sector with the Research Triangle's tech, biotech, and pharma cluster around Raleigh-Durham. Manufacturing and agriculture remain important across the rest of the state.

Salary Multiplier

0.97×

Cost of Living

Unemployment

3.6%

Income Tax

Yes

Top Industries in North Carolina

Finance/BankingTech (Research Triangle)PharmaceuticalsManufacturingHealthcare

Top North Carolina Metros

Charlotte Raleigh

Salaries by Job in North Carolina

50 jobs sorted by North Carolina median salary.

Job	Category	Median	Top 10%
Physician	Healthcare	$222,421	$388,000
AI Engineer	Technology	$179,450	$310,400
Dentist	Healthcare	$165,783	$276,450
Machine Learning Engineer	Technology	$157,140	$286,150
Marketing Manager	Marketing	$153,532	$213,400
Site Reliability Engineer	Technology	$150,350	$248,078
Lawyer	Legal	$141,387	$242,500
Security Engineer	Technology	$137,740	$227,271
Product Manager	Technology	$134,209	$208,550
Pharmacist	Healthcare	$133,356	$160,050
Sales Manager	Sales	$131,105	$213,400
Cloud Engineer	Technology	$130,950	$216,068
Software Engineer	Technology	$128,302	$202,361
DevOps Engineer	Technology	$126,100	$189,150
HR Manager	Human Resources	$126,100	$194,000
Mobile Developer	Technology	$126,100	$208,065
Nurse Practitioner	Healthcare	$124,635	$169,750
Backend Developer	Technology	$124,160	$204,864
Full Stack Developer	Technology	$116,400	$192,060
Cybersecurity Analyst	Technology	$116,264	$169,750
Frontend Developer	Technology	$114,460	$188,859
Electrical Engineer	Engineering	$107,224	$169,750
Scrum Master	Technology	$106,700	$176,055
Data Scientist	Technology	$104,779	$178,567
Supply Chain Manager	Operations	$101,850	$168,053
Operations Manager	Operations	$99,377	$169,750
Financial Analyst	Finance	$96,893	$169,750
Physical Therapist	Healthcare	$96,719	$126,100
Mechanical Engineer	Engineering	$96,525	$148,410
UX Designer	Design	$95,060	$160,050
Occupational Therapist	Healthcare	$93,479	$121,250
Project Manager	Operations	$93,120	$160,050
Financial Planner	Finance	$93,120	$153,648
Civil Engineer	Engineering	$93,013	$140,272
Customer Success Manager	Operations	$92,150	$152,048
Web Developer	Technology	$89,968	$140,650
QA Engineer	Technology	$89,240	$147,246
Business Analyst	Operations	$86,000	$140,650
Content Marketing Manager	Marketing	$85,360	$140,844
Registered Nurse	Healthcare	$83,488	$128,700
Data Analyst	Technology	$81,480	$134,442
Accountant	Finance	$77,484	$128,709
Recruiter	Human Resources	$72,750	$120,038
Executive Assistant	Operations	$69,840	$115,236
Social Media Manager	Marketing	$69,840	$115,236
Copywriter	Marketing	$69,840	$115,236
Teacher	Education	$63,186	$99,153
Paralegal	Legal	$60,140	$99,231
Graphic Designer	Design	$58,423	$92,150
Real Estate Agent	Sales	$54,921	$160,050

Methodology

North Carolina salary figures are computed by adjusting the BLS national median for each job by North Carolina's state-level multiplier of 0.97× — a composite of state-level OEWS data and BEA Regional Price Parities. Last reviewed April 29, 2026.

Data Sources

Other States

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