StateRates

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia salaries

The median worker in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area earned $48,880 a year in 2024, about $23.50 an hour. That ranks #106 of the 391 metro areas published here, 1.3% below the national median.

North Carolina South Carolina

Median pay $48,880 $23.50 per hour
Vs national -1.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,340,800 wage and salary
Metro rank #106 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays 4.1% more than North Carolina as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved -0.1% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +39.7% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 6.47× 1,160 $35,910
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers 6.43× 830 $46,610
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 4.76× 4,110 $154,360
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 4.48× 570 $39,760
Pipelayers 3.58× 1,050 $46,780
Flight Attendants 3.57× 4,040 $64,100
Credit Analysts 3.54× 2,080 $99,750
Cooks, Fast Food 3.19× 18,560 $28,310
Financial Examiners 3.03× 1,650 $102,780
Database Architects 2.94× 1,660 $138,480
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors 2.93× 920 $60,060
Helpers--Electricians 2.71× 1,520 $39,410

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Nurse Anesthetists $238,780 $114.80 980
Dentists, General $192,580 $92.59 820
Computer and Information Systems Managers $172,100 $82.74 7,580
Architectural and Engineering Managers $167,590 $80.57 1,780
Financial Managers $167,470 $80.52 8,790
Natural Sciences Managers $165,120 $79.38 480
Compensation and Benefits Managers $164,160 $78.93 220
Commercial Pilots $163,530 n/a 420
Marketing Managers $158,490 $76.20 3,750
Optometrists $154,700 $74.38 330
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $154,360 n/a 4,110
Managers, All Other $146,090 $70.24 5,990
Sales Managers $144,770 $69.60 5,650
Human Resources Managers $143,360 $68.92 2,280
Pharmacists $139,950 $67.28 2,670
Database Architects $138,480 $66.58 1,660
Lawyers $137,270 $65.99 5,290
Purchasing Managers $136,530 $65.64 890
Actuaries $135,050 $64.93 320
Public Relations Managers $134,890 $64.85 470
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $132,270 $63.59 3,110
Physician Assistants $132,110 $63.52 2,500
Software Developers $132,100 $63.51 20,010
Data Scientists $131,110 $63.03 3,870
Financial Risk Specialists $130,750 $62.86 1,180
Nurse Practitioners $130,650 $62.81 1,530
Computer Network Architects $129,640 $62.33 2,530
Nuclear Engineers $128,150 $61.61 260
Information Security Analysts $127,840 $61.46 2,130
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $125,420 $60.30 300
Engineers, All Other $125,340 $60.26 1,470
Industrial Production Managers $124,190 $59.71 2,600
Training and Development Managers $122,730 $59.01 570
Veterinarians $122,430 $58.86 760
Computer Hardware Engineers $117,790 $56.63 280
Electrical Engineers $114,450 $55.02 1,590
Computer Occupations, All Other $110,620 $53.18 3,020
Computer Systems Analysts $110,020 $52.89 9,290
Administrative Services Managers $108,880 $52.34 2,320
General and Operations Managers $108,600 $52.21 20,380
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $108,410 $52.12 2,060
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $106,410 $51.16 240
Construction Managers $105,580 $50.76 5,460
Fundraising Managers $105,390 $50.67 220
Medical and Health Services Managers $104,770 $50.37 3,630
Management Analysts $104,760 $50.37 7,960
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $104,410 $50.20 2,550
Financial and Investment Analysts $104,360 $50.18 5,790
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $103,870 $49.94 960
Facilities Managers $102,890 $49.47 1,060
Project Management Specialists $102,790 $49.42 10,080
Financial Examiners $102,780 $49.41 1,650
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $102,570 n/a 230
Sales Engineers $102,480 $49.27 870
Industrial Engineers $102,110 $49.09 2,640
Occupational Therapists $101,840 $48.96 1,220
Operations Research Analysts $101,750 $48.92 1,340
Mechanical Engineers $100,990 $48.55 3,010
Physical Therapists $100,310 $48.23 1,930
Art Directors $100,220 $48.18 250

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 41,320 $36,720 $17.65
Retail Salespersons 34,980 $31,440 $15.12
Cashiers 29,200 $28,830 $13.86
Customer Service Representatives 27,730 $44,480 $21.39
Registered Nurses 25,440 $84,780 $40.76
Fast Food and Counter Workers 24,400 $29,070 $13.98
Stockers and Order Fillers 23,010 $37,420 $17.99
General and Operations Managers 20,380 $108,600 $52.21
Waiters and Waitresses 20,100 $28,990 $13.94
Software Developers 20,010 $132,100 $63.51
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 19,280 $51,930 $24.97
Cooks, Fast Food 18,560 $28,310 $13.61
Office Clerks, General 17,070 $41,000 $19.71
Accountants and Auditors 15,770 $85,450 $41.08
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 14,560 $65,640 $31.56
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 13,890 $42,570 $20.46
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 13,720 $31,010 $14.91
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 13,500 $34,460 $16.57
Cooks, Restaurant 13,350 $37,090 $17.83
Nursing Assistants 13,050 $38,580 $18.55

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?

The median across all occupations is $48,880, or $23.50 an hour, covering 1,340,800 wage and salary workers. The mean is $67,690, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pay more than the rest of North Carolina?

Yes. The metro median of $48,880 is 4.1% above the North Carolina median of $46,950. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?

Nurse Anesthetists ($238,780), Dentists, General ($192,580), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($172,100). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia unusually full of?

Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, at 6.47× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.