Wages by Occupation in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Pay and jobs by occupation in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan area (BLS, May 2025). BLS counts about 154,090 jobs across all occupations here, with a median annual wage of $45,220 for all occupations combined. 385 occupations have a published median wage in this area.

Education and earnings of residents

Who lives in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC area and what they earn, by education, from federal survey data (not a measure of any one employer or college).

22.3% of adults 25 and over in this area have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±0.8), compared with 35.7% nationally.

Prices of goods and services here run at 88.5 when the whole U.S. is 100 (housing 59.6; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024; estimates are revised). A higher number means prices are higher on average, not that the area is better or worse.

About 16,247 residents (4.5% of those 3 and older; U.S. 6.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school (±1,241; ACS 2020-2024, Table B14001).

The unemployment rate in this area averaged 3.8% in 2025, with a labor force of about 168,789 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted annual average; estimates are model-based and revised).

22.4% of adults 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±1.8), compared with 39.6% nationally (Table B15001).

Median yearly earnings by education, adults 25 and over who have earnings

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	$32,527	$32,485
High school graduate	$38,584	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$41,688	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$57,444	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$71,938	$90,720

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	26.2% (±2.2)	24.2%
High school graduate	12.0% (±1.0)	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.9% (±0.9)	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.8% (±0.9)	4.5%

Unemployment rate by education, ages 25 to 64

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	7.2% (±2.2)	7.7%
High school graduate	4.0% (±1.2)	5.9%
Some college or associate's degree	2.7% (±0.7)	4.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1.9% (±0.6)	2.8%

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first major	This area	United States
Science and engineering	27.3%	36.1%
Science and engineering related fields	12.7%	10.0%
Business	20.2%	20.1%
Education	18.3%	10.9%
Arts, humanities and other	21.4%	23.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Tables B15003, B20004 (earnings shown only when the margin of error is at most 20% of the value), B23006 (unemployment shown only when every margin is at most 3 points), B17003 (margins of error at the 90% level; poverty shown only when every margin is at most 8 points) and C15010 (the Census Bureau’s own field groups, in a fixed order, not ranked). Describes residents of the area, not a prediction for any person; the Census Bureau has not endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Wages by occupation

Occupation	Jobs	Median annual wage	Mean annual wage	Jobs per 1,000 jobs here	Concentration vs. U.S.
Accountants and Auditors	1,040	$77,490	$87,200	6.74	0.72
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders	390	$33,870	$34,930	2.53	34.20
Administrative Services Managers	160	$100,270	$100,850	1.05	0.62
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors	110	$51,290	$53,910	0.70	2.93
Amusement and Recreation Attendants	420	$24,290	$25,360	2.75	1.07
Animal Caretakers	230	$29,310	$32,590	1.51	0.88
Architectural and Engineering Managers	200	$170,730	$167,760	1.30	0.91
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary	60	$58,230	$53,830	0.41	0.67
Athletic Trainers	30	$53,440	$55,970	0.21	1.06
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants	80	$34,820	$33,970	0.55	0.83
Automotive Body and Related Repairers	180	$48,080	$52,040	1.18	1.23
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	950	$46,860	$51,040	6.15	1.36
Bakers	240	$34,380	$34,800	1.56	1.03
Bartenders	530	$31,860	$38,030	3.42	0.70
Bill and Account Collectors	110	$43,390	$44,780	0.74	0.72
Billing and Posting Clerks	120	$46,820	$47,830	0.75	0.29
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary	30	$61,950	$60,320	0.21	0.64
Biological Technicians	50	$52,930	$52,500	0.30	0.67
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	1,570	$45,130	$46,320	10.20	1.15
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	410	$54,480	$54,670	2.69	1.44
Bus Drivers, School	250	$36,970	$36,650	1.64	0.63
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	660	$69,230	$79,140	4.27	0.61
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	40	$63,840	$67,480	0.29	0.55
Butchers and Meat Cutters	60	$38,370	$40,240	0.38	0.43
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	480	$65,460	$73,090	3.12	0.99
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters	240	$45,440	$45,640	1.56	3.14
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians	40	$65,970	$68,450	0.25	0.63
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary	360	$62,380	$59,540	2.33	3.18
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	40	$58,610	$57,720	0.25	0.35
Cargo and Freight Agents	40	$41,290	$52,040	0.25	0.40
Carpenters	250	$48,260	$50,450	1.65	0.38
Cashiers	3,470	$27,570	$28,290	22.52	1.13
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers	70	$44,570	$41,660	0.45	0.34
Chefs and Head Cooks	110	$59,480	$59,850	0.70	0.55
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	—	$45,250	$48,450	—	—
Chemical Technicians	80	$50,510	$55,360	0.50	1.34
Chemists	110	$80,860	$83,760	0.73	1.37
Chief Executives	50	$312,730	$314,070	0.31	0.23
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	530	$59,840	$57,710	3.42	1.36
Childcare Workers	250	$28,460	$30,870	1.60	0.48
Chiropractors	30	$80,860	$104,760	0.23	0.89
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians	30	$57,990	$65,140	0.20	0.46
Civil Engineers	130	$94,720	$96,500	0.85	0.36
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	90	$57,780	$65,770	0.56	0.27
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	450	$33,930	$33,370	2.92	1.19
Clergy	50	$58,050	$57,300	0.33	0.89
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	70	$91,290	$94,670	0.45	0.93
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	250	$62,710	$63,610	1.59	0.74
Coaches and Scouts	210	$32,510	$40,960	1.36	0.85
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	520	$48,230	$47,900	3.40	3.33
Commercial and Industrial Designers	80	$62,990	$74,600	0.49	2.28
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	80	$53,210	$53,430	0.49	0.71
Community Health Workers	60	$42,450	$44,680	0.41	1.04
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	50	$62,610	$74,860	0.31	0.42
Compliance Officers	210	$63,350	$69,770	1.35	0.50
Computer and Information Systems Managers	220	$163,010	$170,970	1.41	0.33
Computer Network Architects	50	$109,950	$115,620	0.34	0.30
Computer Network Support Specialists	170	$85,780	$77,080	1.08	1.15
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators	160	$46,630	$46,430	1.02	0.94
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers	70	$61,140	$57,860	0.43	2.33
Computer Occupations, All Other	270	$74,310	$79,200	1.73	0.62
Computer Systems Analysts	190	$93,970	$98,160	1.24	0.37
Computer User Support Specialists	370	$51,990	$56,390	2.39	0.52
Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers	70	$46,430	$48,750	0.48	1.15
Concierges	40	$29,150	$29,900	0.26	0.81
Construction and Building Inspectors	70	$59,800	$66,620	0.42	0.45
Construction Laborers	800	$44,550	$44,210	5.17	0.73
Construction Managers	270	$104,470	$117,780	1.74	0.71
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	40	$64,420	$64,340	0.25	0.81
Cooks, Fast Food	2,650	$27,550	$26,810	17.17	4.16
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	350	$35,130	$34,150	2.25	0.79
Cooks, Restaurant	1,410	$30,380	$32,880	9.14	1.01
Cooks, Short Order	—	$29,230	$29,310	—	—
Correctional Officers and Jailers	750	$48,940	$48,470	4.87	1.99
Cost Estimators	200	$62,950	$67,780	1.27	0.88
Counter and Rental Clerks	430	$37,060	$42,660	2.78	1.08
Couriers and Messengers	130	$34,390	$35,880	0.82	1.85
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	210	$47,560	$50,310	1.35	1.17
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	60	$63,860	$61,930	0.37	4.41
Customer Service Representatives	2,250	$37,790	$41,150	14.59	0.87
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand	590	$49,200	$51,860	3.80	97.45
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	590	$44,940	$45,510	3.82	13.21
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	180	$41,240	$43,020	1.17	1.06
Data Entry Keyers	110	$37,940	$39,920	0.74	0.91
Data Scientists	110	$95,290	$99,170	0.72	0.43
Dental Assistants	320	$48,720	$48,370	2.07	0.83
Dental Hygienists	170	$94,050	$90,420	1.12	0.78
Dental Laboratory Technicians	40	$48,810	$51,350	0.23	1.03
Dentists, General	130	$193,320	$200,480	0.86	1.07
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	100	$57,220	$58,020	0.62	0.84
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	50	$83,510	$83,360	0.31	0.54
Dietetic Technicians	50	$29,470	$28,900	0.29	1.45
Dietitians and Nutritionists	80	$64,460	$65,150	0.52	1.05
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	340	$26,940	$26,370	2.19	0.63
Dishwashers	280	$28,980	$28,900	1.79	0.58
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	170	$46,890	$51,030	1.12	0.86
Driver/Sales Workers	570	$32,050	$37,200	3.71	1.41
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	290	$81,750	$85,600	1.91	0.90
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	170	$84,050	$87,500	1.08	0.93
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	60	$53,610	$56,520	0.37	0.77
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other	40	$36,870	$39,730	0.27	0.35
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	200	$55,870	$55,450	1.32	0.58
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians	100	$78,720	$76,440	0.64	1.04
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment	100	$72,480	$68,990	0.66	1.57
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay	30	$103,100	$97,700	0.20	1.49
Electrical Engineers	230	$107,750	$113,810	1.49	1.16
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	190	$71,290	$73,710	1.20	1.42
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers	1,340	$47,940	$49,840	8.69	5.47
Electricians	570	$53,730	$55,970	3.70	0.76
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians	60	$57,810	$59,690	0.37	3.70
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	1,560	$49,540	$52,010	10.14	1.14
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	320	$45,220	$45,030	2.09	2.10
Emergency Medical Technicians	370	$46,020	$48,120	2.38	2.05
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other	70	$77,590	$73,580	0.44	1.14
Engineers, All Other	60	$125,160	$118,340	0.39	0.40
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	40	$67,000	$68,560	0.29	0.78
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling	40	$73,420	$75,510	0.25	1.01
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	40	$69,930	$73,190	0.27	0.47
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	200	$52,740	$61,270	1.31	0.44
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	180	$40,010	$42,130	1.19	0.57
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	940	$53,800	$53,430	6.11	15.60
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers	190	$35,890	$38,640	1.25	15.09
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	200	$44,800	$45,070	1.29	3.41
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers	150	$48,380	$50,110	0.95	49.84
Facilities Managers	110	$111,610	$116,370	0.69	0.69
Family Medicine Physicians	30	$206,360	$204,790	0.21	0.31
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse	100	$33,390	$33,230	0.63	0.37
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals	—	$32,670	$37,190	—	—
Fast Food and Counter Workers	2,930	$27,580	$28,240	19.00	0.77
Fence Erectors	50	$36,360	$38,370	0.32	2.02
File Clerks	50	$40,160	$39,710	0.31	0.66
Financial and Investment Analysts	90	$82,190	$88,410	0.61	0.26
Financial Managers	310	$138,150	$157,250	2.02	0.37
Financial Specialists, All Other	60	$74,510	$78,280	0.39	0.46
Firefighters	810	$36,340	$36,630	5.27	2.37
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	640	$69,990	$72,400	4.16	0.80
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	70	$62,780	$58,350	0.44	1.28
First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services	100	$46,990	$48,260	0.64	0.96
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	200	$49,350	$56,180	1.28	2.01
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	1,220	$41,780	$43,630	7.95	1.01
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	130	$42,890	$45,260	0.86	0.75
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers	100	$53,990	$52,920	0.64	0.77
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	660	$75,120	$77,520	4.27	1.08
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	240	$92,660	$105,300	1.58	1.15
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	1,010	$60,320	$63,940	6.53	0.71
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers	70	$50,760	$50,450	0.43	0.59
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	190	$75,190	$77,430	1.24	1.25
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	1,760	$64,910	$69,080	11.42	2.64
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	1,160	$47,110	$51,980	7.54	1.04
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	740	$60,690	$62,810	4.78	1.19
Food Batchmakers	180	$53,160	$45,840	1.15	1.02
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other	120	$29,150	$29,800	0.81	1.48
Food Preparation Workers	750	$27,680	$28,980	4.86	0.85
Food Processing Workers, All Other	70	$39,150	$37,960	0.47	1.13
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant	210	$31,370	$33,230	1.34	0.71
Food Service Managers	260	$72,140	$72,400	1.70	1.11
Forest and Conservation Technicians	30	$48,360	$48,480	0.21	1.10
Fundraisers	50	$64,900	$65,070	0.32	0.45
Funeral Attendants	70	$34,720	$35,310	0.45	2.27
Furniture Finishers	290	$40,000	$43,350	1.88	20.19
General and Operations Managers	1,750	$95,640	$119,990	11.35	0.50
Graphic Designers	140	$50,540	$56,430	0.94	0.74
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand	110	$36,680	$37,460	0.71	10.48
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	100	$39,300	$42,080	0.62	1.44
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	160	$35,100	$39,900	1.04	0.53
Health Education Specialists	60	$58,450	$58,440	0.40	0.96
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	40	$66,510	$70,930	0.28	1.13
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	80	$63,980	$64,900	0.54	0.38
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other	210	$44,970	$49,810	1.37	1.16
Healthcare Social Workers	150	$60,570	$60,350	0.99	0.82
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other	70	$39,960	$45,320	0.47	0.66
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	300	$50,300	$52,700	1.96	0.74
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	3,050	$57,460	$59,600	19.79	1.49
Helpers--Electricians	160	$37,990	$39,910	1.04	2.54
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers	120	$37,700	$39,040	0.77	1.26
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	—	$38,480	$39,000	—	—
Helpers--Production Workers	640	$39,410	$40,850	4.17	3.92
Highway Maintenance Workers	150	$44,550	$44,540	0.99	0.99
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	2,040	$30,490	$31,330	13.22	0.48
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	390	$27,110	$26,050	2.52	0.91
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	120	$29,180	$30,610	0.80	0.48
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping	70	$45,810	$46,050	0.44	0.76
Human Resources Managers	140	$117,950	$135,010	0.89	0.62
Human Resources Specialists	670	$64,700	$70,230	4.32	0.74
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians	80	$60,290	$64,470	0.49	1.01
Industrial Engineers	670	$86,640	$90,820	4.36	1.85
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	850	$61,570	$61,240	5.53	1.95
Industrial Production Managers	640	$124,290	$131,810	4.14	2.62
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	870	$42,850	$43,060	5.62	1.13
Information and Record Clerks, All Other	70	$33,680	$38,010	0.44	0.51
Information Security Analysts	40	$115,250	$118,110	0.28	0.23
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	1,710	$43,140	$44,360	11.07	2.88
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other	130	$44,010	$47,580	0.86	0.76
Instructional Coordinators	140	$60,730	$62,120	0.89	0.61
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks	70	$40,370	$44,430	0.45	0.33
Insurance Sales Agents	340	$58,410	$64,280	2.22	0.72
Interior Designers	60	$60,250	$60,590	0.36	0.79
Interpreters and Translators	60	$53,790	$53,070	0.41	1.24
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	1,450	$33,350	$33,060	9.39	0.66
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	60	$54,520	$53,010	0.36	0.52
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	4,850	$40,240	$40,660	31.50	1.66
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	790	$36,550	$37,830	5.11	0.83
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	200	$32,000	$31,540	1.32	1.04
Lawyers	270	$97,330	$127,750	1.74	0.36
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	40	$39,990	$44,520	0.24	0.24
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	90	$58,370	$55,850	0.56	0.65
Library Assistants, Clerical	90	$31,810	$32,170	0.57	1.03
Library Technicians	50	$39,630	$39,820	0.35	0.80
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	740	$62,430	$62,680	4.81	1.15
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	120	$24,480	$24,390	0.78	0.77
Light Truck Drivers	1,220	$38,070	$41,960	7.88	1.25
Loan Interviewers and Clerks	60	$54,620	$51,630	0.36	0.34
Loan Officers	130	$63,420	$80,750	0.86	0.49
Logisticians	190	$74,220	$77,320	1.21	0.75
Machine Feeders and Offbearers	130	$36,800	$35,850	0.84	3.09
Machinists	460	$43,430	$47,050	3.01	1.63
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	30	$86,130	$85,390	0.21	0.75
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	770	$30,490	$31,970	4.99	0.90
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service	30	$35,260	$36,420	0.20	0.58
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	1,500	$47,690	$51,130	9.76	0.99
Maintenance Workers, Machinery	440	$60,940	$59,640	2.84	7.36
Management Analysts	250	$76,990	$79,740	1.65	0.28
Managers, All Other	380	$110,140	$127,350	2.47	0.62
Manicurists and Pedicurists	90	$33,530	$39,900	0.60	0.61
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	590	$75,450	$82,280	3.81	0.66
Marketing Managers	200	$151,190	$160,620	1.27	0.50
Marriage and Family Therapists	40	$50,820	$55,590	0.25	0.59
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary	50	$65,390	$64,700	0.33	1.06
Mechanical Drafters	40	$47,570	$53,510	0.28	1.10
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians	60	$64,060	$64,520	0.38	1.64
Mechanical Engineers	250	$89,960	$96,290	1.60	0.84
Medical and Health Services Managers	410	$106,590	$124,580	2.65	0.69
Medical Assistants	820	$43,290	$42,110	5.33	1.01
Medical Equipment Preparers	70	$42,260	$44,420	0.46	0.92
Medical Equipment Repairers	60	$59,190	$59,460	0.36	0.86
Medical Records Specialists	150	$39,900	$43,640	0.95	0.76
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	30	$86,260	$107,610	0.20	0.18
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	1,790	$38,380	$40,820	11.60	1.87
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners	60	$49,340	$56,320	0.40	0.43
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	140	$57,150	$56,910	0.93	1.09
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	190	$37,900	$41,340	1.23	1.15
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	850	$51,970	$51,840	5.49	1.38
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	3,190	$42,770	$42,620	20.68	2.29
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	270	$43,590	$44,570	1.76	2.89
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	120	$63,040	$64,000	0.75	0.66
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	580	$38,370	$40,890	3.77	3.89
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other	40	$28,850	$26,270	0.27	0.91
Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians	40	$54,230	$56,160	0.29	1.91
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	130	$44,920	$46,120	0.86	1.07
Natural Sciences Managers	40	$162,690	$159,780	0.26	0.37
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	220	$80,970	$91,100	1.45	0.72
New Accounts Clerks	60	$44,810	$48,430	0.40	1.69
Nurse Anesthetists	120	$213,630	$198,260	0.81	2.42
Nurse Practitioners	300	$126,620	$125,590	1.95	0.94
Nursing Assistants	2,780	$37,430	$37,960	18.06	1.94
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary	90	$68,220	$70,250	0.61	1.22
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	130	$87,530	$88,880	0.81	0.90
Occupational Therapists	120	$100,160	$96,180	0.78	0.75
Occupational Therapy Assistants	70	$63,120	$65,430	0.46	1.40
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other	170	$44,560	$44,990	1.13	0.91
Office Clerks, General	2,060	$40,340	$41,220	13.39	0.84
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	370	$47,340	$51,160	2.41	0.78
Opticians, Dispensing	80	$40,910	$50,640	0.49	1.04
Optometrists	40	$136,920	$142,330	0.27	0.97
Order Clerks	110	$43,500	$43,830	0.68	1.41
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics	40	$46,070	$45,110	0.26	1.13
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	930	$41,150	$42,720	6.02	2.47
Packers and Packagers, Hand	1,010	$35,840	$35,780	6.58	1.83
Painters, Construction and Maintenance	130	$39,870	$39,200	0.86	0.60
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	600	$48,740	$48,270	3.92	6.34
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	200	$48,530	$51,240	1.33	0.53
Paramedics	180	$49,460	$51,340	1.15	1.77
Parking Attendants	40	$29,920	$31,450	0.27	0.30
Parts Salespersons	410	$31,200	$37,060	2.64	1.52
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators	60	$44,760	$46,430	0.36	1.33
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks	90	$50,800	$54,040	0.60	0.61
Personal Financial Advisors	120	$98,090	$126,610	0.75	0.44
Pest Control Workers	120	$39,150	$43,310	0.75	1.14
Pharmacists	330	$137,180	$137,440	2.12	1.02
Pharmacy Aides	50	$31,390	$30,310	0.31	1.22
Pharmacy Technicians	580	$43,920	$43,460	3.76	1.24
Phlebotomists	170	$37,890	$40,330	1.12	1.21
Photographers	30	$44,840	$48,800	0.22	0.67
Physical Therapist Aides	40	$34,760	$42,260	0.25	0.82
Physical Therapist Assistants	140	$63,800	$65,970	0.92	1.27
Physical Therapists	160	$101,950	$101,850	1.07	0.62
Physician Assistants	190	$127,210	$128,280	1.21	1.16
Physicians, All Other	380	$313,460	$288,550	2.44	1.11
Pipelayers	100	$43,260	$43,830	0.67	3.16
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	330	$51,330	$53,370	2.13	0.71
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	770	$52,260	$54,690	5.02	1.16
Postal Service Clerks	80	$68,540	$65,650	0.51	1.08
Postal Service Mail Carriers	410	$58,960	$60,620	2.67	1.26
Power Plant Operators	40	$102,240	$96,610	0.27	1.45
Prepress Technicians and Workers	30	$56,850	$53,620	0.20	1.30
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	350	$32,970	$34,110	2.26	0.73
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials	50	$29,360	$30,290	0.35	2.10
Printing Press Operators	250	$48,980	$50,070	1.65	1.77
Private Detectives and Investigators	30	$44,820	$47,210	0.20	0.87
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	160	$64,860	$61,370	1.01	1.76
Procurement Clerks	60	$44,240	$46,780	0.40	1.10
Producers and Directors	30	$54,890	$57,220	0.22	0.24
Production Workers, All Other	1,400	$38,720	$42,020	9.09	5.62
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	580	$51,860	$53,910	3.73	1.49
Project Management Specialists	490	$85,490	$98,430	3.16	0.46
Property Appraisers and Assessors	60	$49,040	$61,750	0.42	1.15
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	100	$56,530	$65,210	0.64	0.32
Psychiatric Technicians	130	$47,340	$44,430	0.87	0.86
Public Relations Specialists	180	$58,270	$63,970	1.17	0.64
Public Safety Telecommunicators	180	$43,870	$44,130	1.17	1.77
Purchasing Managers	80	$132,570	$140,610	0.54	1.00
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	380	$68,780	$72,680	2.46	1.66
Receptionists and Information Clerks	420	$33,870	$33,690	2.71	0.46
Recreation Workers	220	$31,280	$33,680	1.41	0.66
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	210	$36,960	$37,400	1.37	1.44
Registered Nurses	3,020	$80,060	$84,510	19.61	0.90
Rehabilitation Counselors	120	$49,010	$47,650	0.77	1.27
Residential Advisors	80	$37,270	$37,630	0.54	0.99
Respiratory Therapists	130	$78,350	$87,370	0.85	0.94
Retail Salespersons	4,000	$30,520	$33,520	25.99	1.04
Roofers	80	$46,810	$45,860	0.49	0.56
Sales Engineers	40	$121,100	$119,290	0.24	0.72
Sales Managers	360	$132,060	$146,810	2.33	0.57
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	940	$59,850	$75,150	6.10	0.75
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	1,730	$67,150	$77,850	11.26	1.41
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	80	$102,460	$116,180	0.50	0.27
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood	240	$37,070	$38,390	1.56	5.94
School Psychologists	40	$60,960	$60,850	0.27	0.65
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	630	$57,790	$54,210	4.11	0.60
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	1,140	$41,710	$43,730	7.43	0.68
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	350	$50,040	$70,720	2.24	0.71
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers	100	$46,520	$51,270	0.65	1.16
Security Guards	550	$31,860	$36,010	3.60	0.44
Self-Enrichment Teachers	110	$43,770	$43,940	0.70	0.33
Sewing Machine Operators	1,860	$46,540	$44,600	12.06	17.88
Sheet Metal Workers	70	$46,800	$50,160	0.48	0.63
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	1,190	$42,520	$43,820	7.74	1.47
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs	120	$32,160	$32,880	0.77	0.48
Skincare Specialists	40	$44,730	$56,130	0.26	0.56
Social and Community Service Managers	170	$77,030	$81,500	1.09	0.81
Social and Human Service Assistants	220	$40,250	$43,070	1.44	0.51
Social Workers, All Other	40	$49,470	$60,640	0.29	0.71
Software Developers	420	$122,540	$129,200	2.73	0.25
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	50	$93,540	$97,040	0.30	0.25
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	120	$54,350	$51,830	0.80	0.48
Special Education Teachers, Middle School	70	$51,800	$51,890	0.46	0.75
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	110	$64,630	$62,290	0.74	0.71
Speech-Language Pathologists	130	$86,120	$89,620	0.85	0.72
Stockers and Order Fillers	3,500	$38,130	$39,300	22.71	1.25
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters	40	$48,530	$46,290	0.28	0.84
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	310	$51,060	$56,480	2.02	0.64
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	1,060	$33,220	$33,450	6.90	2.04
Surgical Technologists	180	$57,000	$55,990	1.18	1.56
Surveying and Mapping Technicians	30	$50,090	$55,560	0.22	0.59
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents	50	$63,180	$68,760	0.29	0.81
Tax Preparers	80	$47,940	$53,200	0.51	1.03
Teachers and Instructors, All Other	—	$45,970	$51,220	—	—
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	890	$27,630	$29,290	5.75	0.63
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary	60	$39,910	$44,220	0.38	0.36
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	120	$58,720	$62,240	0.77	0.85
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers	40	$64,100	$65,820	0.23	0.37
Tellers	190	$41,350	$43,470	1.21	0.57
Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders	120	$38,990	$38,980	0.75	22.09
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	270	$48,640	$48,950	1.76	30.44
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	430	$36,200	$36,650	2.81	33.59
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	300	$34,940	$35,780	1.93	13.61
Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other	230	$37,370	$38,720	1.49	17.13
Tire Repairers and Changers	170	$34,370	$34,810	1.07	1.54
Tool and Die Makers	110	$63,230	$61,460	0.70	1.92
Training and Development Managers	40	$113,070	$122,730	0.25	0.82
Training and Development Specialists	560	$56,300	$61,210	3.65	1.24
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	260	$94,750	$110,550	1.67	1.18
Tutors	110	$39,900	$41,560	0.70	0.62
Upholsterers	2,220	$59,700	$58,120	14.41	111.23
Urban and Regional Planners	40	$75,350	$77,000	0.23	0.82
Veterinarians	70	$124,970	$128,080	0.47	0.87
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers	170	$36,310	$35,880	1.10	1.35
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians	60	$45,070	$43,750	0.39	0.47
Waiters and Waitresses	2,000	$29,310	$34,460	13.00	0.89
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	170	$46,080	$46,740	1.07	1.30
Web and Digital Interface Designers	50	$60,910	$78,210	0.33	0.45
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping	50	$36,330	$38,210	0.31	0.89
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	450	$46,080	$48,980	2.94	1.10
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	720	$38,310	$40,170	4.65	11.76
Writers and Authors	40	$47,300	$57,270	0.24	0.79

Colleges in this area

4 colleges in the federal directory have a campus in this area, listed alphabetically; MajorPays does not rank colleges. Each name links to the college’s profile.

College	Type	Level	Students, fall 2024
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute	Public	2-year	3,914
Catawba Valley Community College	Public	2-year	4,904
Lenoir-Rhyne University	Private nonprofit	4-year or above	2,256
Western Piedmont Community College	Public	2-year	1,813

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS directory (HD 2024, core-based statistical area of the campus) and Fall Enrollment 2024 (total headcount). A count of students is the size of the college, not its quality; the Department has not endorsed this presentation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan area estimates (cross-industry, all ownerships). Wages are pay for all workers in an occupation in this area, not any one person or employer; a dash means BLS does not publish the figure (often to protect privacy or because the estimate is unreliable), and “or more” marks a wage at or above BLS’s top reporting limit. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of jobs in this area divided by its share nationally (1.00 = the same share as the U.S.; above 1.00 = a larger share); it says nothing about pay or openings. Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's jobs per 1,000 jobs of all kinds in this area. Occupations that BLS reports only as hourly wages are not listed, and BLS shows some wages above its top limit as plain numbers while others read “or more”. Occupations are listed alphabetically; click a heading to sort. MajorPays does not rank places or occupations. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice. See Data sources.

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