Rocky Mount, NC
Across all occupations in the Rocky Mount, NC metropolitan area, the median wage is $43,960 a year ($21.13 an hour) and the mean $53,360, May 2025. That median is −14% against the US median of $50,980 and −8% against North Carolina's $47,970. BLS counts 54,630 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is cashiers.
All occupations: Rocky Mount, NC vs North Carolina and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Rocky Mount, NC | Hourly | $12.54 | $15.68 | $21.13 | $29.51 | $44.38 | $25.65 | 54,630 |
| Annual | $26,070 | $32,610 | $43,960 | $61,370 | $92,310 | $53,360 | ||
| 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 | ||
246 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 Rocky Mount, NC
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $332,950 | $160.07 | 50 |
| 2 | Marketing Managers | $162,220 | $77.99 | 60 |
| 3 | Dentists, General | $161,810 | $77.79 | 40 |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $155,170 | $74.60 | 60 |
| 5 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in North Carolina | $137,120 | $65.92 | 110 |
| 6 | Financial Managers in North Carolina | $133,480 | $64.17 | 140 |
| 7 | Pharmacists | $133,320 | $64.10 | 130 |
| 8 | Industrial Production Managers | $130,720 | $62.84 | 180 |
| 9 | Software Developers in North Carolina | $130,600 | $62.79 | 120 |
| 10 | Managers, All Other in North Carolina | $121,580 | $58.45 | 180 |
| 11 | Sales Managers in North Carolina | $118,080 | $56.77 | 140 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioners | $117,880 | $56.67 | 40 |
| 13 | Physician Assistants | $116,930 | $56.22 | 50 |
| 14 | Data Scientists | $111,870 | $53.78 | 30 |
| 15 | Human Resources Managers | $111,120 | $53.42 | 60 |
| 16 | Construction Managers | $111,060 | $53.39 | 190 |
| 17 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $106,950 | $51.42 | 80 |
| 18 | Facilities Managers | $104,700 | $50.34 | 50 |
| 19 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $104,570 | $50.28 | 150 |
| 20 | Electrical Engineers | $104,230 | $50.11 | 60 |
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 Rocky Mount, NC
Most concentrated occupations in Rocky Mount, 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 | Cooks, Fast Food in North Carolina | 5.59 | 1,260 | 23.03 | $23,710 |
| 2 | Helpers--Electricians | 5.29 | 120 | 2.17 | $37,830 |
| 3 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 5.10 | 170 | 3.11 | $41,290 |
| 4 | Bakers | 3.97 | 330 | 6.03 | $33,540 |
| 5 | Paramedics | 3.70 | 130 | 2.39 | $52,470 |
| 6 | Rehabilitation Counselors | 3.69 | 120 | 2.25 | $43,130 |
| 7 | School Bus Monitors | 3.62 | 100 | 1.83 | $39,080 |
| 8 | Production Workers, All Other | 3.32 | 290 | 5.37 | $46,360 |
| 9 | Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.09 | 120 | 2.26 | $52,010 |
| 10 | Industrial Engineers | 2.93 | 380 | 6.90 | $92,840 |
Occupation groups in Rocky Mount, NC
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $101,950 | $118,110 | 2,700 | 49.48 | 0.69 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $92,840 | $95,340 | 1,050 | 19.18 | 1.14 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $80,520 | $89,400 | 690 | 12.67 | 0.37 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $74,830 | $83,700 | 3,340 | 61.10 | 0.97 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $70,800 | $78,750 | 2,800 | 51.30 | 0.76 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $70,620 | $75,560 | 660 | 12.08 | 1.27 |
| Legal | $62,540 | $85,140 | 230 | 4.19 | 0.50 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $52,220 | $55,510 | 2,380 | 43.56 | 1.11 |
| Protective Service | $50,550 | $53,450 | 1,340 | 24.60 | 1.01 |
| Community and Social Service | $49,940 | $52,140 | 1,030 | 18.85 | 1.10 |
| Construction and Extraction | $48,550 | $53,010 | 2,270 | 41.52 | 1.00 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $47,570 | $46,300 | 2,960 | 54.25 | 0.93 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $42,630 | $45,640 | 5,750 | 105.18 | 0.92 |
| Production | $42,490 | $45,710 | 6,580 | 120.49 | 2.19 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $41,370 | $50,750 | 360 | 6.66 | 0.51 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $37,190 | $40,660 | 5,970 | 109.36 | 1.24 |
| Healthcare Support | $34,690 | $36,180 | 2,370 | 43.33 | 0.85 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $31,820 | $38,520 | 150 | 2.67 | 0.95 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $31,440 | $33,340 | 1,380 | 25.29 | 0.86 |
| Sales and Related | $31,100 | $43,040 | 5,190 | 94.98 | 1.10 |
| Personal Care and Service | $27,930 | $32,540 | 840 | 15.34 | 0.73 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $27,450 | $29,850 | 4,580 | 83.91 | 0.95 |
Every occupation in North Carolina, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 246 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 Rocky Mount, NC estimates (area 40580).
*- 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 Rocky Mount, 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.