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Accountant Salary in North Carolina

What accountants earn across North Carolina, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.

Median salary
$82,050
Median hourly wage
$39.45
Top 10% earn
$146,100
Kept after costs
$31,238

Pay range

Half of North Carolina's 49,270 accountants earn more than $82,050 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $83,680.

10th percentile$53,61025th percentile$65,120Median$82,05075th percentile$108,09090th percentile$146,100
US median for the same job: $83,680

Pay over time

In North Carolina, accountant pay rose 27% from 2015 to 2025, but fell 7% after inflation.

Median pay, 2015 to 2025
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
MayMedian payIn 2025 dollarsUS median
2015$64,720$87,910$67,190
2016$66,530$89,243$68,150
2017$68,180$89,548$69,350
2018$69,840$89,542$70,500
2019$71,100$89,535$71,550
2020$72,900$90,683$73,560
2021$77,030$91,520$77,250
2022$77,030$84,739$78,000
2023$79,920$84,442$79,880
2024$80,490$82,608$81,680
2025$82,050$82,050$83,680

BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.

What an accountant keeps in North Carolina

The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

Accountant, North Carolina
Median salary
$82,050
Federal income tax
−$9,221
Payroll taxes
−$6,277
State income tax
−$2,765
Rent, 1-bedroom
−$15,384
Everyday costs
−$17,165
You keep$31,238

a year, or $2,603 a month

Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.

From $82,050 gross, deductions leave $31,238 a year.
Median salary$82,050Federal income tax−$9,221Payroll taxes−$6,277State income tax−$2,765Rent, 1-bedroom−$15,384Everyday costs−$17,165You keep$31,238

At three pay levels

Half of accountants in North Carolina earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.

Pay levelSalaryYou keep
Lower-paid (25th percentile)$65,120$19,865
Typical (median)$82,050$31,238
Higher-paid (75th percentile)$108,090$48,518

Compare cities in North Carolina

Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what an accountant keeps in each North Carolina city we cover, using local pay and rent.

CityMedian payYou keep
Charlotte$92,910$32,024
Greensboro$80,170$30,301
Durham$85,090$29,586
Winston-Salem$78,950$28,887
Raleigh$81,950$27,465

Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.

Try a city with your own salary

Accountant in Charlotte, NC
Median salary
$92,910
Federal income tax
−$11,610
Payroll taxes
−$7,108
State income tax
−$3,198
Rent, 1-bedroom
−$21,792
Everyday costs
−$17,178
You keep$32,024

a year, or $2,669 a month

Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.

From $92,910 gross, deductions leave $32,024 a year.
Salary$92,910Federal income tax−$11,610Payroll taxes−$7,108State income tax−$3,198Rent, 1-bedroom−$21,792Everyday costs−$17,178You keep$32,024

Cost of living in Charlotte

Accountant pay in other states

Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 24 of 51. The ten states where an accountant keeps the most:

What an accountant keeps after costs, by state
  1. Washington$36,643
  2. Colorado$36,496
  3. South Dakota$36,328
  4. Wyoming$36,248
  5. Delaware$36,144
  6. District of Columbia$35,159
  7. North Dakota$34,653
  8. Rhode Island$34,640
  9. Oklahoma$34,385
  10. Alaska$33,986
  11. North Carolina$31,238

Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.

Accountant salary by state

Pay and what's kept for accountants in every other state we cover, A–Z.

Other jobs in North Carolina

The 10 jobs closest to an accountant in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.

JobYou keep
Physical therapist$11,852 more$43,090
Dental hygienist$10,485 more$41,723
Occupational therapist$7,226 more$38,464
Speech-language pathologist$2,927 more$34,165
Registered nurse$1,526 more$32,764
Respiratory therapist$1,301 less$29,937
Lineman$3,171 less$28,067
Radiologic technologist$5,043 less$26,195
Licensed practical nurse$12,785 less$18,453
Social worker$15,104 less$16,134

All 40 salary pages in North Carolina

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Questions people ask

How much does an accountant make in North Carolina?

The median accountant salary in North Carolina is $82,050 a year ($39.45 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $53,610 and the top 10% earn over $146,100 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

What does an accountant take home in North Carolina?

On the median salary, an accountant in North Carolina pays about $18,263 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $31,238 a year.

Where in North Carolina do accountants keep the most?

Of the North Carolina cities we cover, accountants keep the most in Charlotte: a median salary of $92,910 and a $1,816 1-bedroom leave $32,024 a year after taxes and everyday costs.

Which states are best for accountants after costs?

Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 24 of 51. The top states are Washington ($36,643), Colorado ($36,496), South Dakota ($36,328).

Do accountants in North Carolina earn more than the US average?

No. The North Carolina median of $82,050 is $1,630 below the US median of $83,680.

Sources and method

Occupation codes (SOC): 13-2011. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.

Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate