Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| North Carolina | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $142,990 | $149,469 | -4% |
| Median hourly wage | $68.75 | $71.86 | -4% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $151,633.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | $136,500 | $78,750 | $173,250 | 101 |
| Charlotte | $132,600 | $76,500 | $168,300 | 100 |
The median annual salary for a HR Manager in North Carolina is $142,990, or about $68.75 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for HR Managers is $149,469. North Carolina is -4% below the national median.
Entry-level hr managers in North Carolina typically earn from $78,750 depending on the city and employer.
With 6,480 hr manager jobs on record and a median salary of $142,990, North Carolina offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, hr managers rank 30 of the 745 occupations reported in North Carolina — higher than 96% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Chief Executives at $314,290, Natural Sciences Managers at $173,870, Computer and Information Systems Managers at $172,860 — all figures are median annual wages for North Carolina.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. North Carolina levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 95.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, hr managers rank 30 of the 745 occupations reported in North Carolina — higher than 96% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in North Carolina | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $314,290 | $1,930 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $173,870 | $6,010 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $172,860 | $25,650 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,840 | $6,960 |
| Financial Managers | $166,780 | $22,460 |
| Marketing Managers | $165,480 | $10,790 |
North Carolina levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 95.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 745 occupations in North Carolina.