Wages by Occupation in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC

Pay and jobs by occupation in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan area (BLS, May 2025). BLS counts about 42,900 jobs across all occupations here, with a median annual wage of $42,920 for all occupations combined. 199 occupations have a published median wage in this area.

Education and earnings of residents

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

41.0% of adults 25 and over in this area have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±1.5), compared with 35.7% nationally.

Prices of goods and services here run at 88.3 when the whole U.S. is 100 (housing 59.3; 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 5,055 residents (5.0% of those 3 and older; U.S. 6.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school (±559; ACS 2020-2024, Table B14001).

The unemployment rate in this area averaged 3.4% in 2025, with a labor force of about 46,592 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted annual average; estimates are model-based and revised).

39.9% of adults 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±4.0), 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	$29,278	$32,485
High school graduate	$40,446	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$42,782	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$65,130	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$93,157	$90,720

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	30.9% (±6.1)	24.2%
High school graduate	16.9% (±2.4)	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	8.5% (±1.6)	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.6% (±0.7)	4.5%

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first major	This area	United States
Science and engineering	33.6%	36.1%
Science and engineering related fields	10.9%	10.0%
Business	18.3%	20.1%
Education	13.9%	10.9%
Arts, humanities and other	23.3%	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	370	$75,750	$82,320	8.63	0.93
Administrative Services Managers	50	$99,990	$110,320	1.13	0.66
Amusement and Recreation Attendants	640	$23,190	$25,190	14.87	5.81
Animal Caretakers	150	$28,200	$31,020	3.46	2.01
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	250	$48,640	$52,130	5.87	1.30
Bakers	90	$33,760	$33,560	2.03	1.33
Bartenders	280	$37,700	$42,630	6.61	1.36
Billing and Posting Clerks	120	$39,450	$42,670	2.71	1.04
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	410	$46,140	$45,740	9.46	1.07
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	40	$55,800	$55,760	1.04	0.56
Bus Drivers, School	60	$35,790	$37,110	1.30	0.50
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	220	$75,730	$80,830	5.16	0.74
Butchers and Meat Cutters	40	$37,240	$39,240	0.90	1.03
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	60	$70,040	$75,750	1.41	0.45
Carpenters	90	$47,840	$48,550	2.00	0.47
Cashiers	1,090	$27,710	$28,290	25.44	1.28
Chefs and Head Cooks	90	$62,260	$66,530	2.08	1.61
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	90	$55,030	$55,740	2.18	0.86
Childcare Workers	150	$27,740	$28,810	3.52	1.06
Civil Engineers	60	$95,800	$102,250	1.35	0.57
Coaches and Scouts	50	$43,340	$47,990	1.13	0.71
Compliance Officers	50	$62,250	$68,480	1.10	0.41
Computer and Information Systems Managers	70	$137,460	$147,930	1.55	0.36
Computer Network Architects	60	$116,420	$112,430	1.49	1.29
Computer Network Support Specialists	50	$48,950	$57,410	1.27	1.35
Computer Occupations, All Other	70	$106,200	$112,770	1.61	0.57
Computer Systems Analysts	80	$92,370	$98,380	1.76	0.53
Computer User Support Specialists	220	$48,790	$53,620	5.02	1.09
Concierges	30	$31,440	$31,940	0.81	2.56
Construction and Building Inspectors	30	$64,870	$65,460	0.76	0.80
Construction Laborers	240	$45,900	$45,580	5.66	0.80
Construction Managers	100	$109,230	$122,800	2.22	0.91
Cooks, Fast Food	730	$26,610	$26,140	16.92	4.10
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	140	$36,470	$36,310	3.35	1.18
Cooks, Restaurant	670	$35,690	$34,630	15.69	1.73
Cost Estimators	60	$70,810	$69,210	1.50	1.04
Counter and Rental Clerks	130	$35,280	$40,380	2.98	1.15
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	60	$50,060	$52,540	1.31	1.13
Customer Service Representatives	670	$34,590	$38,470	15.63	0.94
Data Entry Keyers	30	$37,600	$40,750	0.76	0.93
Data Scientists	40	$102,740	$105,930	0.85	0.51
Dental Hygienists	70	$95,900	$91,670	1.70	1.19
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	40	$84,520	$91,240	0.90	1.54
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	190	$28,640	$27,440	4.36	1.25
Dishwashers	180	$29,480	$30,360	4.16	1.35
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	30	$42,060	$44,900	0.79	0.61
Driver/Sales Workers	130	$28,200	$33,850	2.99	1.13
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	160	$90,260	$97,170	3.63	1.72
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	60	$57,160	$56,080	1.45	0.64
Electricians	210	$45,650	$50,900	4.86	1.00
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	530	$50,540	$52,400	12.29	1.38
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	50	$51,880	$49,210	1.27	1.28
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	—	$54,890	$60,650	—	—
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	100	$37,260	$39,310	2.28	1.10
Facilities Managers	40	$98,250	$101,980	1.04	1.03
Fast Food and Counter Workers	880	$27,200	$27,860	20.43	0.82
Financial and Investment Analysts	40	$68,230	$88,450	0.92	0.39
Financial Managers	110	$146,830	$160,830	2.58	0.48
Firefighters	190	$34,200	$37,660	4.47	2.01
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	200	$69,290	$71,600	4.56	0.87
First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services	50	$44,990	$50,880	1.10	1.66
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	50	$55,900	$59,510	1.08	1.69
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	450	$44,680	$45,210	10.53	1.34
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	70	$44,440	$48,000	1.66	1.44
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers	140	$54,060	$55,210	3.34	3.98
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	200	$76,640	$83,280	4.77	1.20
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	80	$77,260	$90,310	1.84	1.34
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	300	$55,510	$58,890	6.97	0.75
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers	50	$49,960	$46,250	1.25	1.70
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	80	$74,820	$76,410	1.84	1.85
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	100	$56,580	$59,180	2.44	0.56
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	400	$46,500	$49,570	9.36	1.30
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	130	$48,690	$55,030	3.15	0.78
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other	100	$30,200	$32,210	2.34	4.30
Food Preparation Workers	300	$29,000	$29,960	6.92	1.20
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant	250	$30,790	$31,550	5.87	3.11
Food Service Managers	100	$74,770	$76,640	2.30	1.50
Fundraisers	40	$69,400	$74,020	0.90	1.25
General and Operations Managers	500	$94,400	$114,070	11.60	0.51
Graphic Designers	30	$50,230	$55,310	0.81	0.64
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other	140	$47,710	$53,070	3.17	2.70
Healthcare Social Workers	60	$60,750	$60,850	1.35	1.12
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	160	$52,580	$53,190	3.63	1.38
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	220	$48,860	$54,390	5.23	0.39
Helpers--Electricians	90	$41,430	$40,070	2.06	5.04
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers	30	$34,740	$34,720	0.78	1.27
Highway Maintenance Workers	90	$42,730	$43,310	2.06	2.06
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	560	$28,850	$30,580	13.15	0.47
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	210	$27,480	$27,240	4.97	1.79
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	130	$28,970	$30,980	3.08	1.83
Human Resources Managers	30	$124,300	$139,340	0.75	0.53
Human Resources Specialists	220	$62,390	$67,750	5.19	0.88
Industrial Engineers	30	$87,170	$100,050	0.73	0.31
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	50	$54,320	$60,670	1.26	0.45
Industrial Production Managers	40	$100,450	$104,850	0.94	0.60
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	60	$36,710	$38,360	1.41	0.28
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	60	$36,990	$38,570	1.37	0.36
Instructional Coordinators	130	$64,670	$68,920	2.98	2.04
Insurance Sales Agents	100	$49,090	$66,360	2.22	0.72
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	390	$32,630	$33,080	9.02	0.63
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	30	$48,980	$51,300	0.73	1.04
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	950	$31,210	$34,480	22.26	1.17
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	750	$35,590	$35,810	17.45	2.85
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	90	$29,320	$31,100	2.12	1.66
Lawyers	80	$105,510	$118,010	1.94	0.40
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	40	$39,210	$40,400	0.85	0.85
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	30	$50,870	$53,720	0.77	0.90
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	240	$61,730	$60,700	5.48	1.31
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	50	$23,170	$23,520	1.17	1.15
Light Truck Drivers	230	$46,600	$49,690	5.41	0.86
Loan Officers	50	$66,060	$83,820	1.12	0.64
Machinists	40	$53,840	$55,970	0.97	0.53
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	570	$29,700	$31,380	13.38	2.42
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	310	$43,540	$43,940	7.30	0.74
Management Analysts	160	$73,570	$86,320	3.66	0.63
Managers, All Other	110	$124,930	$134,950	2.58	0.65
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	160	$64,080	$73,410	3.63	0.63
Marketing Managers	30	$148,630	$143,170	0.80	0.31
Massage Therapists	80	$56,260	$58,820	1.79	2.82
Mechanical Engineers	30	$96,180	$99,300	0.81	0.42
Medical and Health Services Managers	150	$106,850	$125,520	3.42	0.89
Medical Assistants	310	$43,530	$41,940	7.13	1.35
Medical Records Specialists	130	$47,360	$47,850	2.97	2.37
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	970	$37,920	$40,790	22.50	3.64
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners	50	$46,680	$55,240	1.05	1.14
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	30	$37,560	$38,790	0.80	0.76
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	190	$36,080	$37,410	4.48	0.50
Natural Sciences Managers	30	$168,850	$169,500	0.75	1.07
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	100	$78,330	$83,430	2.22	1.10
Nurse Practitioners	110	$124,520	$128,330	2.67	1.29
Nursing Assistants	950	$36,930	$36,830	22.22	2.38
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	30	$74,190	$90,440	0.71	0.78
Occupational Therapists	50	$81,450	$83,210	1.19	1.14
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other	100	$43,280	$46,530	2.41	1.95
Office Clerks, General	490	$39,250	$40,800	11.52	0.73
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	90	$50,210	$50,690	2.11	0.69
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics	30	$44,390	$45,310	0.78	3.37
Packers and Packagers, Hand	80	$28,140	$27,650	1.85	0.51
Painters, Construction and Maintenance	30	$43,590	$45,000	0.73	0.51
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	120	$49,430	$55,140	2.77	1.10
Parts Salespersons	70	$30,430	$38,900	1.68	0.97
Personal Financial Advisors	70	$101,040	$122,780	1.53	0.89
Pharmacists	90	$132,170	$134,080	2.18	1.05
Pharmacy Technicians	160	$43,150	$43,440	3.71	1.22
Phlebotomists	70	$38,130	$38,730	1.61	1.74
Physical Therapist Assistants	40	$62,350	$65,020	0.88	1.22
Physical Therapists	100	$94,400	$93,270	2.26	1.32
Physician Assistants	130	$131,770	$135,670	2.99	2.87
Physicians, All Other	240	$338,170	$305,140	5.67	2.57
Pipelayers	40	$40,220	$43,710	0.90	4.21
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	130	$48,440	$52,370	3.13	1.04
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	170	$58,560	$56,590	4.03	0.93
Postal Service Clerks	30	$65,170	$64,190	0.79	1.67
Postal Service Mail Carriers	130	$55,020	$58,510	2.96	1.40
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	220	$34,860	$36,650	5.04	1.64
Production Workers, All Other	110	$35,280	$36,420	2.55	1.58
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	70	$44,970	$48,250	1.65	0.66
Project Management Specialists	210	$95,280	$101,860	4.91	0.72
Psychiatric Technicians	50	$35,930	$41,450	1.09	1.08
Public Relations Specialists	60	$64,090	$79,970	1.47	0.81
Public Safety Telecommunicators	40	$50,630	$48,530	1.03	1.56
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	170	$64,700	$68,980	3.95	2.67
Receptionists and Information Clerks	200	$32,330	$32,740	4.67	0.80
Recreation Workers	80	$34,590	$35,610	1.84	0.86
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	70	$37,160	$36,810	1.65	1.75
Registered Nurses	1,510	$81,520	$85,000	35.23	1.62
Rehabilitation Counselors	50	$29,900	$34,170	1.05	1.73
Retail Salespersons	1,370	$30,020	$32,470	32.02	1.28
Sales Managers	90	$107,810	$135,070	2.20	0.54
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	300	$57,260	$71,700	7.03	0.87
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	240	$63,820	$82,670	5.54	0.70
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	40	$65,020	$92,450	0.83	0.45
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	240	$56,280	$55,210	5.66	0.83
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	370	$42,660	$42,560	8.51	0.78
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	150	$49,350	$69,720	3.54	1.12
Security Guards	280	$32,480	$35,720	6.42	0.78
Self-Enrichment Teachers	100	$50,770	$58,550	2.33	1.09
Sewing Machine Operators	130	$28,560	$29,590	3.07	4.55
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	140	$36,640	$38,160	3.35	0.64
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs	60	$31,770	$31,500	1.45	0.91
Skincare Specialists	60	$36,920	$45,300	1.39	2.96
Social and Community Service Managers	40	$66,840	$76,250	0.91	0.68
Social and Human Service Assistants	50	$38,650	$40,430	1.07	0.38
Software Developers	200	$130,240	$122,500	4.56	0.42
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	40	$101,140	$100,770	1.01	0.84
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	50	$50,270	$51,070	1.23	0.73
Speech-Language Pathologists	90	$79,240	$81,740	2.06	1.74
Stockers and Order Fillers	670	$33,150	$33,400	15.69	0.86
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	150	$46,380	$53,160	3.40	1.08
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	90	$31,960	$33,350	2.18	0.65
Surgical Technologists	130	$56,510	$56,170	2.94	3.89
Surveying and Mapping Technicians	40	$47,700	$49,380	0.85	2.29
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	350	$30,970	$31,930	8.24	0.90
Tellers	40	$44,180	$42,970	0.85	0.40
Training and Development Specialists	190	$66,810	$67,420	4.33	1.47
Tutors	60	$33,800	$38,450	1.36	1.20
Veterinarians	50	$126,190	$131,760	1.05	1.95
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers	100	$35,780	$35,860	2.38	2.92
Waiters and Waitresses	1,040	$34,080	$38,240	24.28	1.66

Colleges in this area

1 college 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
Sandhills Community College	Public	2-year	4,115

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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