BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

06/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/09/2026 09:11

County Employment and Wages in North Carolina — Fourth Quarter 2025

News Release Information

26-821-ATL
Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Employment rose in 10 of the 14 largest counties in North Carolina from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Buncombe County (+3.7 percent) had the largest over-the-year increase in employment. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

View Chart Data

Mecklenburg County (803,200) had the highest employment level in North Carolina in December 2025. Together, the 14 largest counties accounted for 62.2 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2025

Average weekly wage gains in 7 of 13 large counties in North Carolina with published data were above the national average of 4.2 percent. (See chart 2.) Gaston had the largest gain (+6.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among the other 12 large North Carolina counties ranged from 6.1 percent to 1.5 percent.

View Chart Data

Weekly wages in 4 of the 14 largest counties in North Carolina were above the national average of $1,569. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,074 in Durham to $1,111 in Cumberland.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 86 smaller counties in North Carolina, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all smaller counties were below the national average. Union reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,307). Pamlico reported the lowest average weekly wage ($799) in the state.

Among all 100 North Carolina counties, 34 reported average weekly wages less than $1,000, 18 had wages from $1,000 to $1,049, 17 had wages from $1,050 to $1,099, 11 had wages from $1,100 to $1,149, and 20 had average weekly wages of $1,150 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in North Carolina, fourth quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,569)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2026 is scheduled to be released on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage
December 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
December
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change 		Fourth quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
fourth quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 -- 1,569 -- 4.2 --

North Carolina

392.1 4,991.1 0.9 -- 1,409 26 3.8 34

Buncombe

13.8 137.2 3.7 1 1,240 294 1.5 337

Cabarrus

7.4 94.9 2.5 8 1,143 342 2.0 322

Catawba

5.4 90.6 1.0 61 1,175 331 5.8 39

Cumberland

7.6 122.8 -0.8 282 1,111 350 -

Durham

12.2 233.2 -0.9 297 2,074 13 4.3 151

Forsyth

11.7 192.5 0.7 84 1,345 211 5.1 79

Gaston

6.0 81.9 -0.1 181 1,160 337 6.8 20

Guilford

17.9 296.7 0.6 89 1,270 268 4.4 138

Iredell

7.7 82.2 0.4 107 1,314 228 3.4 251

Mecklenburg

55.4 803.2 1.4 43 1,723 49 3.4 251

New Hanover

11.9 133.2 2.2 16 1,308 236 6.1 30

Orange

5.6 77.4 -0.6 254 1,622 72 1.8 331

Pitt

4.6 83.4 2.5 8 1,287 253 5.7 42

Wake

54.1 673.1 2.0 20 1,638 65 4.1 182

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Area Establishments Employment December 2025 Average weekly wage ($)

United States

12,428,415 156,700,218 1,569

North Carolina

392,124 4,991,060 1,409

Alamance

4,549 67,237 1,055

Alexander

761 8,835 972

Alleghany

357 3,181 886

Anson

514 6,825 997

Ashe

787 7,601 1,087

Avery

722 7,310 962

Beaufort

1,380 16,265 1,085

Bertie

360 5,322 931

Bladen

711 12,087 1,012

Brunswick

4,989 43,485 1,136

Buncombe

13,787 137,219 1,240

Burke

1,856 29,535 1,038

Cabarrus

7,354 94,854 1,143

Caldwell

1,677 25,401 1,052

Camden

232 1,277 1,098

Carteret

2,905 25,102 999

Caswell

347 2,971 1,070

Catawba

5,432 90,582 1,175

Chatham

2,674 20,634 1,156

Cherokee

981 7,960 956

Chowan

451 5,110 1,085

Clay

403 2,373 955

Cleveland

2,336 36,897 1,062

Columbus

1,233 14,616 966

Craven

2,851 40,239 1,136

Cumberland

7,564 122,785 1,111

Currituck

1,095 6,783 970

Dare

2,402 18,795 1,026

Davidson

3,769 46,655 1,121

Davie

1,180 14,749 1,104

Duplin

1,198 19,996 947

Durham

12,238 233,194 2,074

Edgecombe

932 14,914 1,028

Forsyth

11,705 192,509 1,345

Franklin

1,846 14,770 1,161

Gaston

5,968 81,888 1,160

Gates

207 1,477 984

Graham

226 1,879 1,058

Granville

1,229 21,363 1,255

Greene

405 4,499 978

Guilford

17,854 296,689 1,270

Halifax

1,078 15,318 970

Harnett

2,716 29,827 1,011

Haywood

2,084 17,550 1,004

Henderson

4,352 44,340 1,151

Hertford

478 8,448 1,010

Hoke

784 9,680 953

Hyde

211 1,508 890

Iredell

7,665 82,169 1,314

Jackson

1,339 19,724 1,023

Johnston

5,924 67,316 1,118

Jones

202 1,604 1,005

Lee

1,866 27,665 1,162

Lenoir

1,416 30,333 1,115

Lincoln

2,903 29,089 1,131

McDowell

1,013 15,547 966

Macon

1,548 12,425 981

Madison

621 4,359 978

Martin

506 6,203 835

Mecklenburg

55,394 803,188 1,723

Mitchell

455 4,722 1,000

Montgomery

636 8,584 1,055

Moore

3,735 43,372 1,174

Nash

2,523 40,647 1,098

New Hanover

11,880 133,231 1,308

Northampton

360 4,672 1,073

Onslow

4,632 54,747 956

Orange

5,563 77,409 1,622

Pamlico

357 3,755 799

Pasquotank

1,196 15,763 1,027

Pender

2,235 15,967 1,024

Perquimans

291 2,304 933

Person

837 9,147 1,020

Pitt

4,641 83,382 1,287

Polk

770 5,673 948

Randolph

3,302 45,381 1,056

Richmond

925 13,626 985

Robeson

2,132 37,717 967

Rockingham

1,937 24,108 970

Rowan

3,547 51,861 1,223

Rutherford

1,557 18,427 976

Sampson

1,286 17,631 1,116

Scotland

718 12,673 1,055

Stanly

1,775 24,976 923

Stokes

904 7,708 855

Surry

2,096 29,139 1,035

Swain

530 7,172 1,007

Transylvania

1,319 9,694 1,071

Tyrrell

106 996 985

Union

8,734 80,120 1,307

Vance

989 14,041 972

Wake

54,054 673,073 1,638

Warren

370 2,925 879

Washington

284 3,081 1,050

Watauga

2,057 24,998 1,055

Wayne

2,632 41,334 1,020

Wilkes

1,429 19,120 1,035

Wilson

2,165 35,580 1,112

Yadkin

826 9,942 983

Yancey

530 5,054 1,007

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage
December 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
December
2024-25 		Fourth quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
fourth quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 1,569 -- 4.2 --

Alabama

167.4 2,135.3 0.5 1,301 36 3.7 37

Alaska

25.3 317.3 -0.3 1,497 16 4.7 14

Arizona

227.4 3,278.3 0.0 1,446 20 3.0 47

Arkansas

113.0 1,318.2 0.4 1,213 49 5.0 8

California

2,013.7 18,351.7 0.6 1,954 4 4.6 16

Colorado

258.5 2,896.4 -0.6 1,683 8 5.6 3

Connecticut

149.8 1,706.5 0.1 1,801 6 5.0 8

Delaware

47.3 481.0 0.1 1,502 15 4.7 14

District of Columbia

51.0 726.1 -4.5 2,587 1 4.1 24

Florida

886.2 10,013.2 0.3 1,471 17 4.8 12

Georgia

398.7 4,925.4 0.1 1,440 21 3.5 40

Hawaii

63.0 650.0 -0.2 1,411 25 5.0 8

Idaho

104.3 875.7 1.8 1,303 35 5.8 2

Illinois

387.7 6,089.5 -0.1 1,588 11 3.3 42

Indiana

195.6 3,211.2 0.1 1,276 40 4.5 17

Iowa

110.6 1,560.0 -0.2 1,282 39 3.7 37

Kansas

101.8 1,443.2 -0.1 1,268 44 4.1 24

Kentucky

161.3 2,008.7 -0.1 1,235 46 3.8 34

Louisiana

159.2 1,927.3 -0.5 1,267 45 3.2 44

Maine

67.6 644.7 -0.1 1,332 33 4.2 21

Maryland

199.5 2,754.6 -1.1 1,616 10 3.0 47

Massachusetts

298.5 3,625.5 -0.9 1,980 2 4.9 11

Michigan

316.9 4,412.7 0.0 1,427 23 4.2 21

Minnesota

215.2 2,948.0 0.0 1,505 14 3.7 37

Mississippi

92.2 1,180.9 0.3 1,075 51 5.1 7

Missouri

259.9 2,920.8 -0.1 1,324 34 4.4 18

Montana

62.3 512.3 -0.1 1,296 38 3.3 42

Nebraska

78.5 1,024.0 -0.2 1,275 42 4.0 31

Nevada

111.0 1,592.1 1.7 1,395 27 3.2 44

New Hampshire

67.9 688.8 -0.6 1,652 9 4.8 12

New Jersey

343.1 4,343.1 0.2 1,691 7 3.9 33

New Mexico

69.7 875.3 -0.3 1,275 42 4.1 24

New York

719.1 9,907.5 0.4 1,975 3 5.4 4

North Carolina

392.1 4,991.1 0.9 1,409 26 3.8 34

North Dakota

37.0 430.4 -0.2 1,350 31 2.7 49

Ohio

348.5 5,554.4 0.0 1,358 30 4.1 24

Oklahoma

129.3 1,717.1 0.1 1,217 48 4.1 24

Oregon

177.9 1,975.8 -1.0 1,468 19 3.2 44

Pennsylvania

398.1 6,094.8 0.2 1,470 18 4.0 31

Rhode Island

49.1 500.3 -0.1 1,429 22 6.0 1

South Carolina

192.4 2,344.7 1.5 1,276 40 4.3 20

South Dakota

41.2 458.9 -0.2 1,230 47 4.1 24

Tennessee

225.2 3,281.6 -0.3 1,424 24 3.8 34

Texas

860.8 14,255.2 0.8 1,549 13 4.2 21

Utah

144.6 1,761.6 1.4 1,389 28 4.1 24

Vermont

34.5 309.3 -0.9 1,378 29 5.3 5

Virginia

324.0 4,166.9 0.5 1,585 12 2.6 50

Washington

242.1 3,590.3 -0.3 1,948 5 2.4 51

West Virginia

62.8 698.3 -0.6 1,203 50 3.5 40

Wisconsin

213.9 2,946.2 -0.1 1,346 32 5.3 5

Wyoming

31.7 278.4 -0.8 1,297 37 4.4 18

Puerto Rico

53.5 974.7 -0.2 735 2.8

Virgin Islands

3.0 34.7 0.3 1,068 2.7

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on June 09, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 09, 2026 at 15:11 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]