Charlotte, NC Salary Guide (2024)
The median annual wage across all occupations in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area is $48,880, spread over roughly 1,340,800 jobs. This guide breaks that down across 80 detailed occupations with released wage data, from laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand down to the smallest job categories BLS can publish.
Salary by occupation in Charlotte, NC
Ranked by median annual wage. Every row links to a full page with the local pay distribution, the percentile breakdown, and how the metro compares with the rest of the country.
| Occupation | Hourly | Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $17.65 | $36,720 | 41,320 |
| Retail Salespersons | $15.12 | $31,440 | 34,980 |
| Cashiers | $13.86 | $28,830 | 29,200 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $21.38 | $44,480 | 27,730 |
| Registered Nurses | $40.76 | $84,780 | 25,440 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $13.98 | $29,070 | 24,400 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $17.99 | $37,420 | 23,010 |
| General and Operations Managers | $52.21 | $108,600 | 20,380 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $13.94 | $28,990 | 20,100 |
| Software Developers | $63.51 | $132,100 | 20,010 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $24.97 | $51,930 | 19,280 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $13.61 | $28,310 | 18,560 |
| Office Clerks, General | $19.71 | $41,000 | 17,070 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $41.08 | $85,450 | 15,770 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $31.56 | $65,640 | 14,560 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $20.47 | $42,570 | 13,890 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $14.91 | $31,010 | 13,720 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $16.57 | $34,460 | 13,500 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $17.83 | $37,090 | 13,350 |
| Nursing Assistants | $18.55 | $38,580 | 13,050 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $31.02 | $64,530 | 12,740 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $20.75 | $43,170 | 12,240 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $24.16 | $50,250 | 11,930 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $23.44 | $48,760 | 11,910 |
| Construction Laborers | $21.27 | $44,240 | 11,790 |
| Security Guards | $17.66 | $36,740 | 11,620 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $38.73 | $80,560 | 11,610 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $21.06 | $43,800 | 11,240 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $27.30 | $56,780 | 11,140 |
| Light Truck Drivers | $19.25 | $40,040 | 10,880 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $22.08 | $45,920 | 10,510 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $30.73 | $63,920 | 10,510 |
| Project Management Specialists | $49.42 | $102,790 | 10,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $23.29 | $48,440 | 9,960 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $36.95 | $76,850 | 9,400 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $52.89 | $110,020 | 9,290 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $18.00 | $37,450 | 9,260 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $27.91 | $58,050 | 9,210 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $40.45 | $84,130 | 8,970 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $37.92 | $78,870 | 8,940 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $35.59 | $74,030 | 8,840 |
| Financial Managers | $80.51 | $167,470 | 8,790 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $21.20 | $44,100 | 8,240 |
| Management Analysts | $50.37 | $104,760 | 7,960 |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $14.83 | $30,850 | 7,840 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $82.74 | $172,100 | 7,580 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $13.62 | $28,320 | 7,570 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | $16.75 | $34,830 | 7,570 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | $24.55 | $51,070 | 7,490 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $20.38 | $42,390 | 7,040 |
Median pay across these occupations runs from $28,310 to $172,100 — a 6.1× spread between the lowest- and highest-paid detailed occupations in the metro. The all-occupation median of $48,880 sits nearer the bottom of that range, because the largest job categories in most metros are also among the lower-paid ones.
Frequently asked questions about Charlotte, NC pay
What is the median salary in Charlotte, NC?
Across all occupations, the median annual wage in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area is $48,880. Total employment covered by the survey is about 1,340,800 jobs.
Which jobs pay the most in Charlotte, NC?
The highest median wage in the metro belongs to laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand at $36,720, followed by retail salespersons ($31,440) and cashiers ($28,830).
How many occupations are covered for Charlotte, NC?
This guide covers 80 detailed occupations with released wage data for the metro area, out of the 800+ detailed occupations the OEWS survey tracks nationally. Occupations with too few workers locally to publish a reliable estimate are excluded by BLS.
Is this enough to live on in Charlotte, NC?
These are nominal wages — they are not adjusted for local housing, tax, or transport costs. A median that looks high in Charlotte, NC may buy less than a lower median in a cheaper metro. Use the all-occupation median of $48,880 as the local baseline and compare any specific job against that, not against the national number.
About these figures
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. OEWS surveys employers, so it excludes self-employed workers and independent contractors, and it reports wages rather than total compensation. Occupations with too few workers locally to produce a reliable estimate are suppressed by BLS and therefore absent from this page.
Full detail in the methodology. Original data: bls.gov/oes.