Lawyers pay in North Carolina
$160,340avg. a year
$77.09 an hour · 17,000 employed
Lawyers in North Carolina earn an average of $160,340 a year. That is $25,500 (14%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840. The best-paying metro area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC at $186,020.
$127,710Median pay
$77.09Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
#26Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying North Carolina metro areas
Average pay for lawyers by metro area. Swipe to see all 16.
15,380 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$186,020
$89.43 an hour
24,350 jobs
Raleigh-Cary, NC
$164,230
$78.96 an hour
32,280 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$159,670
$76.76 an hour
41,220 jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$159,260
$76.57 an hour
5830 jobs
Winston-Salem, NC
$151,960
$73.06 an hour
6980 jobs
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$151,830
$72.99 an hour
7480 jobs
Wilmington, NC
$142,470
$68.49 an hour
870 jobs
Goldsboro, NC
$140,320
$67.46 an hour
9470 jobs
Asheville, NC
$135,480
$65.14 an hour
10320 jobs
Fayetteville, NC
$130,510
$62.75 an hour
11270 jobs
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
$127,750
$61.42 an hour
12100 jobs
Rocky Mount, NC
$126,450
$60.79 an hour
13100 jobs
Burlington, NC
$123,650
$59.45 an hour
1480 jobs
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
$118,010
$56.74 an hour
15220 jobs
Greenville, NC
$109,990
$52.88 an hour
16170 jobs
Jacksonville, NC
$100,380
$48.26 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Lawyers pay in North Carolina, charted
Pay over time
North Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where North Carolina lawyers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · North Carolina highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $132k$132k–$160k$160k–$180k$180k+North Carolina
North Carolina vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $185,840 | $89.35 |
| North Carolina | $160,340 | $77.09 |
| Georgia | $191,190 | $91.92 |
| Virginia | $179,240 | $86.17 |
| Tennessee | $163,870 | $78.79 |
| South Carolina | $144,700 | $69.57 |
Related jobs in North Carolina
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$60,770
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$120,970
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$74,270
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$52,980
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$87,630
Average pay, North Carolina, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in North Carolina?
The average is $160,340 a year, and the median is $127,710. That is $25,500 (14%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840.
What is the hourly wage in North Carolina?
$77.09 an hour on average; the median is $61.40.
Where in North Carolina do they earn the most?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($186,020), followed by Raleigh-Cary, NC ($164,230). The lowest average among 16 metro areas with data is Jacksonville, NC ($100,380).
How does North Carolina rank?
North Carolina ranks #26 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 23-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national lawyers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.