Raleigh-Cary, NC
Across all occupations in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, the median wage is $51,990 a year ($24.99 an hour) and the mean $70,740, May 2025. That median is +2% against the US median of $50,980 and +8% against North Carolina's $47,970. BLS counts 743,120 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is retail salespersons.
All occupations: Raleigh-Cary, NC vs North Carolina and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | Hourly | $14.20 | $17.99 | $24.99 | $39.42 | $63.71 | $34.01 | 743,120 |
| Annual | $29,540 | $37,430 | $51,990 | $82,000 | $132,530 | $70,740 | ||
| 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 | ||
568 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $354,130 | $170.26 | 1,190 |
| 2 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $291,060 | $139.93 | 440 |
| 3 | Chief Executives | $286,050 | $137.52 | 360 |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physicians | $218,830 | $105.21 | ** |
| 5 | Pediatricians, General | $214,680 | $103.21 | 220 |
| 6 | Dentists, General | $207,380 | $99.70 | 1,000 |
| 7 | Podiatrists | $185,800 | $89.33 | 60 |
| 8 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in North Carolina | $173,960 | $83.63 | 6,010 |
| 9 | Natural Sciences Managers | $173,510 | $83.42 | 1,640 |
| 10 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $169,780 | $81.62 | 1,850 |
| 11 | Psychiatrists | $168,880 | $81.19 | 130 |
| 12 | Marketing Managers | $167,640 | $80.60 | 2,390 |
| 13 | Sales Managers in North Carolina | $163,520 | $78.62 | 3,280 |
| 14 | Optometrists | $163,290 | $78.51 | 240 |
| 15 | Financial Managers in North Carolina | $163,130 | $78.43 | 3,690 |
| 16 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $162,800 | $78.27 | 510 |
| 17 | Nurse Anesthetists | $155,250 | $74.64 | ** |
| 18 | Psychologists, All Other | $152,980 | $73.55 | 30 |
| 19 | Statisticians | $152,880 | $73.50 | 210 |
| 20 | Managers, All Other in North Carolina | $147,370 | $70.85 | 4,320 |
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 Raleigh-Cary, NC
Most concentrated occupations in Raleigh-Cary, 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 | Farm and Home Management Educators | 18.27 | 720 | 0.97 | $64,280 |
| 2 | Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 9.00 | 380 | 0.52 | $102,560 |
| 3 | Surveying and Mapping Technicians | 4.05 | 1,120 | 1.51 | $49,150 |
| 4 | Pipelayers | 4.03 | 640 | 0.86 | $48,390 |
| 5 | Computer Programmers | 4.01 | 1,770 | 2.38 | * |
| 6 | Athletes and Sports Competitors | 3.96 | 290 | 0.38 | * |
| 7 | Cooks, Fast Food in North Carolina | 3.76 | 11,500 | 15.48 | $28,220 |
| 8 | Social Science Research Assistants | 3.68 | 540 | 0.73 | $65,330 |
| 9 | Microbiologists | 3.66 | 330 | 0.45 | $85,010 |
| 10 | Helpers--Electricians | 3.41 | 1,040 | 1.40 | $44,720 |
Occupation groups in Raleigh-Cary, NC
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $132,650 | $148,770 | 53,750 | 72.33 | 1.01 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $107,760 | $113,790 | 43,780 | 58.92 | 1.74 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $94,440 | $100,860 | 18,330 | 24.67 | 1.47 |
| Legal | $85,990 | $125,750 | 7,310 | 9.83 | 1.17 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $84,830 | $109,710 | 43,130 | 58.04 | 0.92 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $83,360 | $95,010 | 10,800 | 14.53 | 1.53 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $80,390 | $93,460 | 64,520 | 86.83 | 1.28 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $60,430 | $76,060 | 10,960 | 14.74 | 1.12 |
| Community and Social Service | $58,390 | $58,850 | 9,530 | 12.83 | 0.75 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $57,840 | $59,970 | 27,630 | 37.18 | 0.95 |
| Construction and Extraction | $51,210 | $57,540 | 35,650 | 47.98 | 1.16 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $51,120 | $58,480 | 39,240 | 52.80 | 0.90 |
| Protective Service | $48,560 | $54,060 | 16,190 | 21.79 | 0.90 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $47,310 | $49,710 | 79,180 | 106.56 | 0.93 |
| Production | $45,640 | $48,280 | 23,430 | 31.53 | 0.57 |
| Sales and Related | $42,450 | $59,330 | 74,800 | 100.65 | 1.17 |
| Healthcare Support | $39,160 | $42,190 | 23,820 | 32.06 | 0.63 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $39,100 | $43,200 | 56,880 | 76.55 | 0.87 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $38,140 | $43,090 | 620 | 0.84 | 0.30 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $37,650 | $39,360 | 20,410 | 27.47 | 0.94 |
| Personal Care and Service | $34,750 | $40,120 | 16,760 | 22.55 | 1.08 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,480 | $34,550 | 66,380 | 89.33 | 1.02 |
Every occupation in North Carolina, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 568 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC estimates (area 39580).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment 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 Raleigh-Cary, 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.