StateRates

Rocky Mount salaries

The median worker in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area earned $41,180 a year in 2024, about $19.80 an hour. That ranks #339 of the 391 metro areas published here, 16.8% below the national median.

North Carolina

Median pay $41,180 $19.80 per hour
Vs national -16.8% U.S. $49,500
Workers 54,530 wage and salary
Metro rank #339 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Rocky Mount pays 12.3% less 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.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Cooks, Fast Food 6.19× 1,460 $23,170
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 3.88× 530 $40,430
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 1.97× 1,020 $36,850
Nursing Assistants 1.71× 840 $35,580
Cashiers 1.6× 1,780 $25,330
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 1.41× 550 $44,720
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1.35× 1,430 $35,890
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1.31× 960 $46,760
Stockers and Order Fillers 1.29× 1,270 $34,420
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1.21× 600 $47,180
Retail Salespersons 1.12× 1,500 $27,560
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1.08× 580 $43,700

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Rocky Mount
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Industrial Production Managers $121,220 $58.28 210
Project Management Specialists $98,800 $47.50 280
Mechanical Engineers $96,380 $46.34 250
Industrial Engineers $93,100 $44.76 470
General and Operations Managers $90,760 $43.64 710
Registered Nurses $81,090 $38.99 1,120
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $79,090 $38.02 400
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $73,740 $35.45 420
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $73,680 $35.43 380
Accountants and Auditors $73,450 $35.31 350
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $67,160 $32.29 220
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $66,990 $32.21 230
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $66,960 $32.19 200
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $62,030 $29.82 380
Human Resources Specialists $61,580 $29.60 250
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $60,280 $28.98 200
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $60,250 $28.97 240
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $60,080 $28.88 470
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $58,770 $28.25 290
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $57,840 $27.81 270
Machinists $57,630 $27.71 200
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $55,610 $26.74 360
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $55,270 $26.57 230
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $54,990 $26.44 360
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $49,940 $24.01 360
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $49,340 $23.72 200
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $49,100 n/a 380
Correctional Officers and Jailers $48,810 $23.47 220
Electricians $47,630 $22.90 300
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $47,180 n/a 600
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $46,760 $22.48 960
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $46,260 n/a 290
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $45,340 $21.80 300
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $44,720 $21.50 550
Firefighters $44,650 $21.47 230
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $43,700 $21.01 580
Production Workers, All Other $43,480 $20.90 470
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $41,220 $19.82 530
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders $40,430 $19.44 530
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers $40,060 $19.26 450
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $39,520 $19.00 390
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $39,470 $18.98 510
Bus Drivers, School $39,020 $18.76 280
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $38,720 $18.62 360
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $38,120 $18.33 300
Office Clerks, General $38,120 $18.33 940
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $37,610 $18.08 420
Pharmacy Technicians $37,030 $17.80 220
Construction Laborers $36,940 $17.76 380
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $36,850 $17.72 1,020
Customer Service Representatives $36,040 $17.33 680
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $35,890 $17.26 1,430
Nursing Assistants $35,580 $17.11 840
Light Truck Drivers $35,370 $17.01 350
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $35,050 $16.85 230
Stockers and Order Fillers $34,420 $16.55 1,270
Receptionists and Information Clerks $32,590 $15.67 230
Packers and Packagers, Hand $29,850 $14.35 270
Cooks, Restaurant $29,450 $14.16 420
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $29,430 $14.15 680

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Rocky Mount by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Cashiers 1,780 $25,330 $12.18
Retail Salespersons 1,500 $27,560 $13.25
Cooks, Fast Food 1,460 $23,170 $11.14
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1,430 $35,890 $17.26
Stockers and Order Fillers 1,270 $34,420 $16.55
Registered Nurses 1,120 $81,090 $38.99
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 1,020 $36,850 $17.72
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 960 $46,760 $22.48
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 950 $27,720 $13.33
Office Clerks, General 940 $38,120 $18.33
Fast Food and Counter Workers 890 $27,360 $13.15
Nursing Assistants 840 $35,580 $17.11
General and Operations Managers 710 $90,760 $43.64
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 680 $29,430 $14.15
Customer Service Representatives 680 $36,040 $17.33
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 600 $47,180 n/a
Waiters and Waitresses 600 $25,090 $12.06
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 580 $43,700 $21.01
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 550 $44,720 $21.50
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 530 $41,220 $19.82

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

Rocky Mount pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Rocky Mount?

The median across all occupations is $41,180, or $19.80 an hour, covering 54,530 wage and salary workers. The mean is $51,690, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Rocky Mount pay more than the rest of North Carolina?

No. The metro median of $41,180 is 12.3% below 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 Rocky Mount?

Industrial Production Managers ($121,220), Project Management Specialists ($98,800), Mechanical Engineers ($96,380). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Rocky Mount unusually full of?

Cooks, Fast Food, at 6.19× 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.