Human Resources Specialists Salary in North Carolina
Human Resources Specialists in North Carolina have a median of $73,070 a year, below the national $75,940 (−4%); the state ranks 20th of 51 states by median. Human Resources Specialists earn 52% more than the median across all occupations in North Carolina ($47,970). Among neighbouring states, Virginia pays more (up to $82,090 in Virginia) and Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina pay less (down to $65,370 in South Carolina). North Carolina employs 31,140 human resources specialists, 6.30 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.07 is close to the national share.
North Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $22.48 | $27.33 | $35.13 | $46.59 | $60.58 | $38.20 | 31,140 | 6.30 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $46,760 | $56,850 | $73,070 | $96,910 | $126,000 | $79,450 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.69 | $28.18 | $36.51 | $47.78 | $61.89 | $39.42 | 912,430 | – | – |
| Annual | $47,180 | $58,610 | $75,940 | $99,380 | $128,720 | $81,990 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 20th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.07
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.30
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of North Carolina's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in North Carolina
16 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina publish a row for human resources specialists, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $38.99 | $81,100 | $51,340 | $133,450 | 2,370 | 6.90 | 1.18 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $37.66 | $78,330 | $48,150 | $130,610 | 8,930 | 6.58 | 1.12 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $36.66 | $76,240 | $47,210 | $120,530 | 4,290 | 5.63 | 0.96 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $36.27 | $75,440 | $44,240 | $124,720 | 870 | 6.59 | 1.12 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $35.66 | $74,170 | $48,060 | $125,700 | 5,710 | 7.69 | 1.31 |
| Asheville, NC | $33.76 | $70,210 | $46,480 | $115,920 | 910 | 5.01 | 0.85 |
| Burlington, NC | $33.42 | $69,500 | $47,930 | $123,640 | 280 | 4.19 | 0.71 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $32.95 | $68,540 | $45,780 | $117,840 | 1,370 | 5.05 | 0.86 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $32.53 | $67,660 | $47,490 | $103,920 | 2,630 | 7.21 | 1.23 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $32.05 | $66,660 | $44,980 | $115,220 | 150 | 3.61 | 0.61 |
| Greenville, NC | $31.82 | $66,190 | $46,850 | $98,960 | 430 | 5.31 | 0.91 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $31.12 | $64,730 | $43,120 | $113,310 | 290 | 5.57 | 0.95 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $31.11 | $64,700 | $45,620 | $102,260 | 670 | 4.32 | 0.74 |
| Wilmington, NC | $30.98 | $64,440 | $41,150 | $108,180 | 850 | 4.45 | 0.76 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $30.00 | $62,390 | $41,480 | $105,540 | 220 | 5.19 | 0.88 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $29.64 | $61,660 | $44,440 | $99,500 | 270 | 5.02 | 0.85 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $30.81 | $64,080 | $42,940 | $107,770 | 970 | 3.67 | 0.63 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $30.63 | $63,710 | $44,860 | $103,290 | 980 | 3.86 | 0.66 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $29.70 | $61,780 | $41,740 | $105,600 | 1,030 | 4.33 | 0.74 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $35.13 | $73,070 | 31,140 | 1.07 |
| Georgia | $33.93 | $70,570 | 32,110 | 1.12 |
| South Carolina | $31.43 | $65,370 | 13,720 | 1.01 |
| Tennessee | $32.39 | $67,370 | 21,460 | 1.12 |
| Virginia | $39.47 | $82,090 | 28,540 | 1.18 |
See the national page for Human Resources Specialists (every state ranked) and the North Carolina wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS North Carolina estimates.
- 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.