Key Facts: North Carolina, United States Wages
- Location
- North Carolina, United States
- Currency
- United States Dollar (USD)
- Minimum Wage
- $7.25 /hr (matches national rate)
- Average Gross Monthly Salary
- $5,050 /month
- Median Household Income
- $66,186 /year
- Data Source
- North Carolina Department of Labor
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-24
Average Salary in North Carolina
State of United States · Data verified 2026-01-01
Minimum wage
$7.25 /hr
Average salary $5,050 /mo
With a population of 11 million, North Carolina is a state of United States whose economy centers on financial services and biotechnology. The state follows the national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Workers earn an average gross salary of $5,050 per month. The cost of living is 6% below the national average. The median household income is $66,186 per year.
• AT A GLANCE
- Rank
- #46 of 56
- state
- vs National
- =
- United States floor
- Annual (est.)
- $15,080
- full-time, before tax
- Change Since 2007
- +18%
- nominal wage
Wage Breakdown
- Hourly
- $7.25
- Monthly
- $1,256.67 Based on 173.33 hours/month (40 hrs/week)
- Annual
- $15,080 Based on 2,080 hours/year
North Carolina follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr. No state-level increase has been enacted. NC is one of 20 states at the federal floor as of 2026.
Tipped wage : $2.13 /hr. Follows federal tipped minimum wage.
At this rate, a full-time worker earns approximately $15,080 /yr before tax. Whether that covers living costs depends on local prices. See United States purchasing power context.
Average Salary
$5,050 /mo gross
$60,600 /yr gross
Bureau of Labor Statistics - OES · 2025
Median Income
$66,186 /yr household
$34,521 /yr individual
U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey · 2023
Minimum Wage History
Compare North Carolina
Compare North Carolina with other state
North Carolina vs Alabama $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Arizona $ 15.15 /hr 
North Carolina vs California $ 16.9 /hr 
North Carolina vs Colorado $ 15.16 /hr 
North Carolina vs Connecticut $ 16.94 /hr 
North Carolina vs Delaware $ 15 /hr 
North Carolina vs Florida $ 14 /hr 
North Carolina vs Georgia $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Illinois $ 15 /hr 
North Carolina vs Indiana $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Iowa $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Kansas $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Maryland $ 15 /hr 
North Carolina vs Massachusetts $ 15 /hr 
North Carolina vs Michigan $ 13.73 /hr 
North Carolina vs Minnesota $ 11.41 /hr 
North Carolina vs New Jersey $ 15.92 /hr 
North Carolina vs New York $ 16 /hr 
North Carolina vs North Dakota $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Ohio $ 11 /hr 
North Carolina vs Oregon $ 15.05 /hr 
North Carolina vs Rhode Island $ 16 /hr 
North Carolina vs South Carolina $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Tennessee $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Texas $ 7.25 /hr 
North Carolina vs Washington $ 17.13 /hr 
North Carolina vs West Virginia $ 8.75 /hr