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Jobs in North Carolina: pay, hiring and what a paycheck buys

North Carolina has 4,175 open job postings from 577 employers in our data. 23.7% list a pay range, the median posted pay is $127,500 a year, 6% are remote and 27.7% have been open more than 60 days (data as of October 2026).

What stands out

Paycheck power: typical official wage, adjusted for local pricesMedian wage for all jobs divided by the local price level, October 2026. Higher means a paycheck goes further.Paycheck power: typical official wage, adjusted for local pricesVirginiaVirginia Official median wage: $55,500 Price level: 101.1 Paycheck power: $55,000 Click for the full page$55,000New JerseyNew Jersey Official median wage: $58,500 Price level: 108.8 Paycheck power: $54,000 Click for the full page$54,000OhioOhio Official median wage: $49,500 Price level: 92.8 Paycheck power: $53,000 Click for the full page$53,000IllinoisIllinois Official median wage: $52,000 Price level: 100 Paycheck power: $52,000 Click for the full page$52,000MichiganMichigan Official median wage: $49,500 Price level: 96.2 Paycheck power: $51,000 Click for the full page$51,000PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Official median wage: $49,500 Price level: 97.6 Paycheck power: $51,000 Click for the full page$51,000North CarolinaNorth Carolina Official median wage: $48,000 Price level: 94.3 Paycheck power: $51,000$51,000GeorgiaGeorgia Official median wage: $48,000 Price level: 96.3 Paycheck power: $50,000 Click for the full page$50,000Source: Second Summit, October 2026; BLS; BEA; Census
North Carolina compared with similar-sized states: the median wage divided by the local price level (US average prices = 100). Download this chart (SVG)
4,175open postings from 577 employers
23.7%list a pay range
$127,500median posted pay
$48,000official median wage, all jobs (BLS)
3.6%unemployment rate, 2026-08 (BLS)
212,000job openings, 2025-12 (BLS JOLTS), rate 4%

Pay transparency

North Carolina has no statewide law requiring a pay range in job postings.

Metro areas in North Carolina

Metro areaPostingsPay listedMedian posted pay
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC1,93724.5%$127,500
Raleigh-Cary, NC85625.5%$140,000
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC61030.7%$91,500
Greensboro-High Point, NC20226.9%$87,500
Winston-Salem, NC11224%$76,500
Asheville, NC10122.6%–

What your paycheck buys here

Prices in North Carolina run 6% below the national average, and housing runs 19% below it. The official median wage for all jobs is $48,000, which is worth $51,000 in average-US dollars. The median posted pay of $127,500 is worth $135,000.

What things cost here (US average = 100)BEA regional price parities for the North Carolina metro area, 2024.What things cost here (US average = 100)All itemsAll items: 94.3 6% below the US average (100)94.3HousingHousing: 81.4 19% below the US average (100)81.4GoodsGoods: 96.6 3% below the US average (100)96.6UtilitiesUtilities: 88.6 11% below the US average (100)88.6Other servicesOther services: 98.2 2% below the US average (100)98.2Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
Local prices compared with the national average, where 100 is the US average. Download this chart (SVG)
The area's biggest jobs and what they payOfficial median annual wage for the ten largest occupations in North Carolina, May 2025.The area's biggest jobs and what they payRetail Salespersons (127.5k)Retail Salespersons 127,540 workers Median wage: $31,500$31,500Laborers and Freight, Stock, a (116.7k)Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 116,720 workers Median wage: $38,000$38,000Registered Nurses (111.1k)Registered Nurses 111,120 workers Median wage: $84,500$84,500Cashiers (106.4k)Cashiers 106,440 workers Median wage: $29,000$29,000Fast Food and Counter Workers (92.2k)Fast Food and Counter Workers 92,230 workers Median wage: $28,500$28,500Customer Service Representativ (89.5k)Customer Service Representatives 89,510 workers Median wage: $40,000$40,000Stockers and Order Fillers (87.5k)Stockers and Order Fillers 87,510 workers Median wage: $36,000$36,000Cooks, Fast Food (82k)Cooks, Fast Food 81,980 workers Median wage: $27,000$27,000Waiters and Waitresses (71.9k)Waiters and Waitresses 71,940 workers Median wage: $32,000$32,000Office Clerks, General (67.9k)Office Clerks, General 67,930 workers Median wage: $42,000$42,000Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Median wages for the ten occupations with the most workers here (worker count in parentheses). Download this chart (SVG)
Open postings by industry of the employerPostings by employer industry in North Carolina.Open postings by industry of the employerHealthcare & Life SciencesHealthcare & Life Sciences 765 open postings 18.3% of this area's postings765Manufacturing & IndustrialManufacturing & Industrial 638 open postings 15.3% of this area's postings638Software & TechnologySoftware & Technology 506 open postings 12.1% of this area's postings506Retail & E-commerceRetail & E-commerce 434 open postings 10.4% of this area's postings434Real Estate & ConstructionReal Estate & Construction 418 open postings 10% of this area's postings418OtherOther 363 open postings 8.7% of this area's postings363Media & EntertainmentMedia & Entertainment 217 open postings 5.2% of this area's postings217Logistics & TransportationLogistics & Transportation 187 open postings 4.5% of this area's postings187Source: Second Summit, October 2026; BLS; BEA; Census
Which industries have the most open postings in our data. Download this chart (SVG)

Employers with the most openings

  1. Abb: 216 postings
  2. CenterWell: 154 postings
  3. Scoutmotors: 108 postings
  4. Judihealth: 94 postings
  5. Boxlunch: 94 postings

Federal government hiring

404 federal job announcements open to the public list North Carolina, with a median posted salary range midpoint of $107,500. Agencies hiring most: Veterans Health Administration (85), Military Treatment Facilities under DHA (31), U.S. Marine Corps (23), Indian Health Service (22), Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System (18). Source: USAJOBS.

How it compares with similar-sized states

StatePay listedPosted payOfficial wagePricesPaycheck power
North Carolina23.7%$127,500$48,00094.3$51,000
Georgia23.4%$130,000$48,00096.3$50,000
Michigan22.1%$140,000$49,50096.2$51,000
Ohio21.4%$128,500$49,50092.8$53,000
New Jersey42.6%$131,500$58,500108.8$54,000
Virginia43.6%$135,000$55,500101.1$55,000
Pennsylvania24.1%$117,500$49,50097.6$51,000

Compare any states side by side

Download this data

Free to use with credit: Second Summit, October 2026. Data (CSV) · Data (JSON) · paycheck power chart (SVG) · prices chart (SVG) · industries chart (SVG) · biggest jobs chart (SVG)

Related pages

A posting that lists several states counts in each. This covers employers whose career pages we read, not every job in North Carolina. Methodology · All states (CSV)

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