Home / Wages / Wilmington Wilmington salaries The median worker in the Wilmington, NC metro area earned $44,470 a year in 2024, about $21.38 an hour. That ranks #282 of the 391 metro areas published here, 10.2% below the national median.
North Carolina
Median pay $44,470 $21.38 per hour
Vs national -10.2% U.S. $49,500
Workers 186,900 wage and salary
Metro rank #282 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Wilmington pays 5.3% 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 5.32× 4,310 $26,740 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 2.42× 520 $82,920 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 2.36× 2,370 $38,220 Amusement and Recreation Attendants 2.28× 1,030 $21,980 Construction Managers 2.03× 860 $100,570 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 1.93× 2,210 $36,160 Animal Caretakers 1.9× 640 $27,700 Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop 1.88× 970 $24,490 Counter and Rental Clerks 1.87× 900 $36,570 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 1.85× 1,810 $63,950 Cooks, Restaurant 1.84× 3,240 $35,170 Physical Therapists 1.82× 550 $84,800
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Wilmington Occupation Median Hourly Employed Dentists, General $202,850 $97.52 260 Natural Sciences Managers $156,650 $75.31 430 Computer and Information Systems Managers $141,190 $67.88 450 Pharmacists $133,100 $63.99 440 Financial Managers $132,810 $63.85 470 Nurse Practitioners $125,220 $60.20 310 Veterinarians $124,690 $59.95 200 Physician Assistants $124,390 $59.80 320 Managers, All Other $120,740 $58.05 550 Industrial Production Managers $120,370 $57.87 240 Software Developers $120,240 $57.81 800 Sales Managers $119,170 $57.30 620 Personal Financial Advisors $106,960 $51.42 310 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $102,350 $49.21 200 Industrial Engineers $101,800 $48.94 320 Medical and Health Services Managers $101,590 $48.84 570 Construction Managers $100,570 $48.35 860 Electrical Engineers $100,310 $48.23 370 Computer Occupations, All Other $99,590 $47.88 230 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $98,660 $47.43 200 Lawyers $98,460 $47.34 570 Occupational Therapists $95,620 $45.97 300 Administrative Services Managers $94,160 $45.27 200 Biological Scientists, All Other $93,950 $45.17 230 Civil Engineers $92,670 $44.56 480 Dental Hygienists $91,320 $43.90 480 Computer Systems Analysts $89,580 $43.07 450 General and Operations Managers $89,570 $43.06 2,930 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $87,580 $42.11 230 Project Management Specialists $87,410 $42.02 1,350 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $84,920 $40.83 220 Physical Therapists $84,800 $40.77 550 Management Analysts $84,640 $40.69 480 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $83,520 $40.15 440 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators $82,920 $39.86 520 Loan Officers $81,540 $39.20 530 Speech-Language Pathologists $81,170 $39.02 200 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $79,830 n/a 300 Registered Nurses $75,710 $36.40 4,400 Chemists $74,780 $35.95 450 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $73,580 $35.37 350 Accountants and Auditors $72,350 $34.79 1,520 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $70,900 $34.09 320 Business Operations Specialists, All Other $70,600 $33.94 1,010 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $70,360 $33.83 570 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $68,030 $32.71 850 Cost Estimators $67,490 $32.45 340 Buyers and Purchasing Agents $66,370 $31.91 440 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $65,970 $31.72 910 Food Service Managers $65,510 $31.49 410 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $64,910 $31.21 350 First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $64,550 $31.04 250 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $63,950 $30.74 1,810 Human Resources Specialists $63,710 $30.63 760 Construction and Building Inspectors $62,680 $30.14 230 Compliance Officers $62,380 $29.99 240 Child, Family, and School Social Workers $62,350 $29.98 530 Detectives and Criminal Investigators $62,210 $29.91 200 Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $62,130 $29.87 290 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $61,830 $29.72 260
Where most people work Largest occupations in Wilmington by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Retail Salespersons 6,150 $29,520 $14.19 Cashiers 5,310 $27,530 $13.23 Waiters and Waitresses 5,050 $21,540 $10.36 Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,440 $28,910 $13.90 Registered Nurses 4,400 $75,710 $36.40 Cooks, Fast Food 4,310 $26,740 $12.86 Stockers and Order Fillers 3,480 $34,670 $16.67 Cooks, Restaurant 3,240 $35,170 $16.91 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 3,150 $36,260 $17.43 General and Operations Managers 2,930 $89,570 $43.06 Office Clerks, General 2,870 $38,240 $18.38 Customer Service Representatives 2,830 $36,860 $17.72 Nursing Assistants 2,590 $36,410 $17.51 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2,480 $29,660 $14.26 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 2,370 $38,220 $18.37 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 2,210 $36,160 $17.38 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 2,060 $48,210 n/a Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 2,050 $46,340 $22.28 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 2,030 $44,780 $21.53 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1,950 $48,430 $23.28
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 Durham-Chapel Hill 342,530 workers $59,740 Raleigh-Cary 723,590 workers $49,560 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia 1,340,800 workers $48,880 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 754,860 workers $48,430 Winston-Salem 273,340 workers $45,050 Asheville 187,430 workers $44,990 Wilmington pay: common questions What is the average salary in Wilmington? The median across all occupations is $44,470 , or $21.38 an hour, covering 186,900 wage and salary workers. The mean is $56,030, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Wilmington pay more than the rest of North Carolina? No. The metro median of $44,470 is 5.3% 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 Wilmington? Dentists, General ($202,850), Natural Sciences Managers ($156,650), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($141,190). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Wilmington unusually full of? Cooks, Fast Food, at 5.32× 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.