North Carolina · SOC 15-1252
Software Engineer Salary in North Carolina
VerifiedPublished wages for software engineers in North Carolina, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Software Engineers in North Carolina earn a median of $131,000 per year ($131,780 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $102,430–$158,940; the top 10% earn $173,660. That is 2% below the national median of $133,080, ranking North Carolina #13 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$131,000
-2% vs national
Top 10% earn
$173,660
90th percentile
Employed in state
57,590
Reliability High (2.9% RSE)
Software Engineer pay distribution — North Carolina vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $79,620 | — |
| 25th percentile | $102,430 | -1% |
| Median50th percentile | $131,000 | -2% |
| 75th percentile | $158,940 | -6% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $173,660 | -18% |
| Meanaverage | $131,780 | -9% |
Where software engineers earn most in North Carolina
Metro areas in North Carolina where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 15-1252. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| CharlotteCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $132,100 | $168,570 | 20,010 |
| DurhamDurham-Chapel Hill, NC | $131,980 | $191,080 | 8,610 |
| RaleighRaleigh-Cary, NC | $131,390 | $180,630 | 12,290 |
| Virginia BeachVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $125,930 | $173,820 | 6,740 |
| JacksonvilleJacksonville, NC | $125,530 | $172,680 | 90 |
| WinstonWinston-Salem, NC | $125,140 | $179,990 | 1,270 |
| GreensboroGreensboro-High Point, NC | $122,900 | $162,510 | 1,580 |
| FayettevilleFayetteville, NC | $121,850 | $162,100 | 380 |
| HickoryHickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $121,590 | $197,390 | 360 |
| WilmingtonWilmington, NC | $120,240 | $164,670 | 800 |
| AshevilleAsheville, NC | $118,850 | $164,420 | 920 |
| BurlingtonBurlington, NC | $114,510 | $160,160 | 260 |
| GreenvilleGreenville, NC | $107,960 | $162,140 | 270 |
| Rocky MountRocky Mount, NC | $107,400 | $157,360 | 100 |
| PinehurstPinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $107,330 | $162,390 | 90 |
| GoldsboroGoldsboro, NC | $100,040 | $196,600 | 80 |
North Carolina engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.10
Jobs per 1,000
11.76
State rank (pay)
#13 of 51
All engineering roles
$116,968
A location quotient of 1.10 means North Carolina employs software engineers at roughly the national rate.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers), North Carolina (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →