Question 1

What is the cost of living in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

North Carolina's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 92.66, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 7.3% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,284/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in North Carolina, the average median wage is $149,023. The single highest-paying occupation here is Surgeons, All Other at $398,410/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in North Carolina are: 1) Surgeons, All Other at $398,410; 2) Dermatologists at $367,350; 3) Emergency Medicine Physicians at $339,350; 4) Neurologists at $325,550; 5) Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $323,630. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in North Carolina is $1,284/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's North Carolina data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
81	Construction Managers	Management	$107K	$51.27/hr
82	Materials Scientists	Science	$106K	$51.19/hr
83	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	Management	$106K	$51.01/hr
84	Administrative Services Managers	Management	$106K	$50.78/hr
85	Computer Occupations, All Other	Technology	$105K	$50.41/hr
86	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay	Repair & Maintenance	$105K	$50.34/hr
87	Materials Engineers	Engineering	$104K	$50.11/hr
88	Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$103K	N/A
89	Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$103K	N/A
90	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	Science	$103K	$49.51/hr

Top Paying Jobs in North Carolina

Highest paying careers in North Carolina

Affordability snapshot: North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina