Software Engineer Salary in North Carolina
What software engineers earn across North Carolina, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $134,710
- Median hourly wage
- $64.76
- Top 10% earn
- $179,310
- Kept after costs
- $65,926
Pay range
Half of North Carolina's 58,470 software engineers earn more than $134,710 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $135,980.
Pay over time
In North Carolina, software engineer pay rose 13% from 2021 to 2025, but fell 5% after inflation.
BLS reorganised software jobs between 2019 and 2021 (two developer codes merged, testers split out), so this series starts in 2021.
Yearly figures, 2021 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $119,090 | $141,492 | $120,730 |
| 2022 | $126,520 | $139,182 | $127,260 |
| 2023 | $130,620 | $138,011 | $132,270 |
| 2024 | $131,000 | $134,447 | $133,080 |
| 2025 | $134,710 | $134,710 | $135,980 |
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 a software engineer keeps in North Carolina
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $134,710
- Federal income tax
- −$21,064
- Payroll taxes
- −$10,305
- State income tax
- −$4,866
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,384
- Everyday costs
- −$17,165
a year, or $5,494 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of software engineers in North Carolina earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $104,530 | $46,155 |
| Typical (median) | $134,710 | $65,926 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $164,750 | $85,259 |
Compare cities in North Carolina
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a software engineer keeps in each North Carolina city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Durham | $135,620 | $62,840 |
| Raleigh | $132,770 | $60,969 |
| Charlotte | $135,920 | $60,283 |
| Greensboro | $125,190 | $60,108 |
| Winston-Salem | $124,130 | $58,822 |
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
- Median salary
- $135,620
- Federal income tax
- −$21,283
- Payroll taxes
- −$10,375
- State income tax
- −$4,903
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,032
- Everyday costs
- −$17,187
a year, or $5,237 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Software engineer pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 7 of 50. The ten states where a software engineer keeps the most:
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Software engineer salary by state
Pay and what's kept for software engineers in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in North Carolina
The 10 jobs closest to a software engineer in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Dentist$47,856 more | $113,782 |
| Pharmacist$2,670 more | $68,596 |
| Physician assistant$3,444 less | $62,482 |
| Veterinarian$3,522 less | $62,404 |
| Nurse practitioner$3,683 less | $62,243 |
| Lawyer$4,506 less | $61,420 |
| Data scientist$10,108 less | $55,818 |
| Financial analyst$21,191 less | $44,735 |
| Project manager$22,232 less | $43,694 |
| Civil engineer$22,292 less | $43,634 |
Moving for a job?
Questions people ask
How much does a software engineer make in North Carolina?
The median software engineer salary in North Carolina is $134,710 a year ($64.76 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $83,840 and the top 10% earn over $179,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a software engineer take home in North Carolina?
On the median salary, a software engineer in North Carolina pays about $36,235 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $65,926 a year.
Where in North Carolina do software engineers keep the most?
Of the North Carolina cities we cover, software engineers keep the most in Durham: a median salary of $135,620 and a $1,586 1-bedroom leave $62,840 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for software engineers after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 7 of 50. The top states are Washington ($84,015), Massachusetts ($70,764), California ($69,852).
Do software engineers in North Carolina earn more than the US average?
No. The North Carolina median of $134,710 is $1,270 below the US median of $135,980.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 15-1252. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate