Jacksonville, NC
Across all occupations in the Jacksonville, NC metropolitan area, the median wage is $40,230 a year ($19.34 an hour) and the mean $51,170, May 2025. That median is −21% against the US median of $50,980 and −16% against North Carolina's $47,970. BLS counts 52,570 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is retail salespersons.
All occupations: Jacksonville, NC vs North Carolina and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Jacksonville, NC | Hourly | $11.53 | $14.41 | $19.34 | $28.63 | $42.97 | $24.60 | 52,570 |
| Annual | $23,990 | $29,980 | $40,230 | $59,540 | $89,380 | $51,170 | ||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $13.74 | $17.32 | $23.06 | $36.35 | $57.52 | $30.91 | 4,941,820 |
| Annual | $28,580 | $36,030 | $47,970 | $75,610 | $119,640 | $64,290 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
227 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: North Carolina. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Jacksonville, NC
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $282,050 | $135.60 | 50 |
| 2 | Dentists, General | $188,850 | $90.79 | 50 |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $154,520 | $74.29 | 30 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in North Carolina | $148,330 | $71.31 | 70 |
| 5 | Pharmacists | $132,850 | $63.87 | 80 |
| 6 | Managers, All Other in North Carolina | $124,530 | $59.87 | 130 |
| 7 | Software Developers in North Carolina | $123,110 | $59.19 | 140 |
| 8 | Financial Managers in North Carolina | $121,420 | $58.37 | 100 |
| 9 | Nurse Practitioners | $120,700 | $58.03 | 70 |
| 10 | Veterinarians | $120,430 | $57.90 | 40 |
| 11 | Physician Assistants | $116,300 | $55.91 | 60 |
| 12 | Engineers, All Other | $115,210 | $55.39 | 50 |
| 13 | Industrial Production Managers | $107,150 | $51.52 | 30 |
| 14 | Sales Managers in North Carolina | $107,000 | $51.44 | 100 |
| 15 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $105,450 | $50.70 | 170 |
| 16 | Education Administrators, All Other | $105,270 | $50.61 | 260 |
| 17 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $103,120 | $49.58 | 30 |
| 18 | Computer Network Architects | $100,890 | $48.51 | 30 |
| 19 | Mechanical Engineers | $99,780 | $47.97 | 50 |
| 20 | Construction Managers | $98,920 | $47.56 | 180 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Jacksonville, NC
Most concentrated occupations in Jacksonville, NC
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education Administrators, All Other | 14.11 | 260 | 5.00 | $105,270 |
| 2 | Teachers and Instructors, All Other | 9.66 | 370 | 7.07 | $50,000 |
| 3 | Cooks, Fast Food in North Carolina | 8.45 | 1,830 | 34.83 | $22,900 |
| 4 | Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.57 | 140 | 2.62 | $62,940 |
| 5 | Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other | 3.29 | 130 | 2.51 | $44,030 |
| 6 | First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | 3.10 | 100 | 1.97 | $69,240 |
| 7 | Driver/Sales Workers | 2.97 | 410 | 7.81 | $20,300 |
| 8 | Firefighters | 2.94 | 340 | 6.54 | $47,870 |
| 9 | Animal Caretakers | 2.80 | 250 | 4.81 | $30,460 |
| 9 | Information and Record Clerks, All Other | 2.80 | 130 | 2.43 | $49,940 |
Occupation groups in Jacksonville, NC
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $94,970 | $105,160 | 2,500 | 47.50 | 0.66 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $89,180 | $91,610 | 890 | 16.87 | 0.50 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $81,330 | $86,220 | 570 | 10.77 | 0.64 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $76,400 | $82,070 | 370 | 7.03 | 0.74 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $74,040 | $92,020 | 3,040 | 57.81 | 0.92 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $73,460 | $77,030 | 3,140 | 59.77 | 0.88 |
| Legal | $63,060 | $74,520 | 400 | 7.65 | 0.91 |
| Community and Social Service | $56,850 | $59,330 | 710 | 13.59 | 0.79 |
| Protective Service | $55,090 | $57,600 | 1,440 | 27.42 | 1.13 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $51,230 | $57,300 | 430 | 8.25 | 0.63 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $48,740 | $54,170 | 2,350 | 44.68 | 1.14 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $46,970 | $47,320 | 4,560 | 86.79 | 1.48 |
| Construction and Extraction | $46,770 | $51,430 | 2,250 | 42.78 | 1.04 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $39,850 | $42,680 | 5,930 | 112.84 | 0.99 |
| Production | $38,500 | $45,030 | 1,200 | 22.80 | 0.41 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,350 | $37,910 | 1,920 | 36.44 | 0.72 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $34,580 | $34,590 | 1,930 | 36.64 | 1.25 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $34,540 | $37,720 | 3,890 | 73.92 | 0.84 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,440 | $37,590 | 1,120 | 21.35 | 1.02 |
| Sales and Related | $30,600 | $38,810 | 5,840 | 111.15 | 1.29 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $27,390 | $30,150 | 8,070 | 153.42 | 1.74 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | – | – | – | – | – |
Every occupation in North Carolina, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 227 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Jacksonville, NC estimates (area 27340).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Jacksonville, NC area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.