High paying management jobs in North Carolina

Every management occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in North Carolina. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single management job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in North Carolina run 5.7% below the national average (2024), so a North Carolina salary is worth about 1.06× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in North Carolina.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find management jobs in North Carolina

OccupationMedian, North Carolina · Employed

1Chief Executives$314,290
Bachelor's degree
$114,210 – $624,9901,930
2Natural Sciences Managers$173,870
Bachelor's degree
$101,810 – $305,9706,010
3Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,860
Bachelor's degree
$108,280 – $287,84025,650
4Architectural and Engineering Managers$167,840
Bachelor's degree
$121,900 – $231,3506,960
5Financial Managers$166,780
Bachelor's degree
$100,950 – $322,09022,460
6Marketing Managers$165,480
Bachelor's degree
$96,760 – $274,10010,790
7Sales Managers$150,470
Bachelor's degree
$69,350 – $297,76016,920
8Human Resources Managers$142,990
Bachelor's degree
$90,390 – $260,6106,480
9Managers, All Other$141,160
Bachelor's degree
$74,990 – $244,82021,830
10Purchasing Managers$138,710
Bachelor's degree
$94,240 – $219,1502,670
11Training and Development Managers$126,200
Bachelor's degree
$78,210 – $211,3402,020
12Industrial Production Managers$125,940
Bachelor's degree
$77,130 – $206,3109,640
13Medical and Health Services Managers$114,410
Bachelor's degree
$70,680 – $217,42014,820
14Facilities Managers$108,130
Bachelor's degree
$62,680 – $171,9504,810
15Construction Managers$106,640
Bachelor's degree
$68,960 – $176,69016,310
16Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$106,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$66,090 – $191,6506,650
17Administrative Services Managers$105,630
Bachelor's degree
$68,050 – $183,5407,360
18General and Operations Managers$101,950
Bachelor's degree
$48,340 – $238,23063,740
19Education Administrators, Postsecondary$101,060
Master's degree
$64,490 – $185,1407,390
20Education Administrators, All Other$98,880
Bachelor's degree
$50,200 – $135,7201,600
21Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$83,180
Master's degree
$63,240 – $121,38011,220
22Social and Community Service Managers$79,590
Bachelor's degree
$52,390 – $126,6404,970
23Food Service Managers$74,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$51,780 – $104,0609,420
24Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers$61,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,470 – $111,43010,690
25Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare$57,200
Bachelor's degree
$38,480 – $89,1202,410

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianNorth Carolina	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$314,290	$114,210 – $624,990	1,930
2	Natural Sciences ManagersBachelor's degree	$173,870	$101,810 – $305,970	6,010
3	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$172,860	$108,280 – $287,840	25,650
4	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$167,840	$121,900 – $231,350	6,960
5	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$166,780	$100,950 – $322,090	22,460
6	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$165,480	$96,760 – $274,100	10,790
7	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$150,470	$69,350 – $297,760	16,920
8	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$142,990	$90,390 – $260,610	6,480
9	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$141,160	$74,990 – $244,820	21,830
10	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$138,710	$94,240 – $219,150	2,670
11	Training and Development ManagersBachelor's degree	$126,200	$78,210 – $211,340	2,020
12	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$125,940	$77,130 – $206,310	9,640
13	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$114,410	$70,680 – $217,420	14,820
14	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$108,130	$62,680 – $171,950	4,810
15	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$106,640	$68,960 – $176,690	16,310
16	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$106,100	$66,090 – $191,650	6,650
17	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$105,630	$68,050 – $183,540	7,360
18	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$101,950	$48,340 – $238,230	63,740
19	Education Administrators, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$101,060	$64,490 – $185,140	7,390
20	Education Administrators, All OtherBachelor's degree	$98,880	$50,200 – $135,720	1,600
21	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$83,180	$63,240 – $121,380	11,220
22	Social and Community Service ManagersBachelor's degree	$79,590	$52,390 – $126,640	4,970
23	Food Service ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,080	$51,780 – $104,060	9,420
24	Property, Real Estate, and Community Association ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,430	$38,470 – $111,430	10,690
25	Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and DaycareBachelor's degree	$57,200	$38,480 – $89,120	2,410

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in North Carolina. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in North Carolina

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in North Carolina to rank honestly.

High paying management jobs in North Carolina

More for North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina

By field in North Carolina

Without a degree

High paying management jobs in each state