North Carolina's average software engineer salary of $136,940 places it close to Florida ($137,010) and South Carolina ($136,240), and below Virginia ($146,340). Tennessee is the lowest in the regional peer group at $120,560. If you are deciding between states for a remote or distributed hire, the differences between North Carolina and its closest neighbors are relatively small at the average level, though Virginia carries a meaningful premium.
Software engineer salary in North Carolina (2026)
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Software engineer salary in North Carolina (2026)
The average software engineer salary in North Carolina is $136,940 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $83,840 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. North Carolina employs 58,470 software engineers, and the $53,100 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. The statewide mean of $136,940 sits above the 90th percentile threshold of $86,000, which means a segment of highly compensated roles is pulling the average well beyond what most candidates in the state actually earn. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a software engineer hire in North Carolina, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Software engineer salary in North Carolina (2026)
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $83,840 |
Average Annual Salary | $136,940 |
vs. National Average | 7.5% below the national mean of $148,100 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 58,470 employed software engineers across North Carolina.
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Software engineer salary percentiles in North Carolina
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $50,000 |
25th Percentile | $64,000 |
75th Percentile | — |
90th Percentile | $86,000 |
The statewide mean of $136,940 exceeds the 90th percentile threshold of $86,000, which tells employers that a concentrated group of senior or specialized roles is pulling compensation well above the published distribution. When anchoring an offer, use the median of $83,840 as your baseline and expect that competing for senior talent will require budgeting meaningfully above the 90th percentile figure.
Software engineer salary by city in North Carolina
City | Average Annual Salary |
Durham | $148,390 |
Charlotte | $139,030 |
Raleigh | $136,640 |
Greensboro | $126,400 |
Winston-Salem | $124,370 |
Where you hire in North Carolina will have a direct impact on your compensation budget. Durham commands the highest average at $148,390, which is $24,020 above Winston-Salem's average of $124,370 and reflects the concentration of research and technology employers in the Research Triangle area. Employers hiring across multiple locations should build location-based pay bands rather than applying a single statewide figure.
How North Carolina compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
North Carolina | $136,940 | $83,840 |
Virginia | $146,340 | $83,350 |
Florida | $137,010 | $80,050 |
South Carolina | $136,240 | $76,010 |
Georgia | $132,150 | $80,110 |
Tennessee | $120,560 | $75,280 |
North Carolina sits in the middle of the regional market, making it a broadly comparable environment to Florida and South Carolina for software engineer compensation. Virginia leads the region with a mean of $146,340, while Tennessee sits lowest at $120,560, giving employers a clear sense of the range they are operating within. North Carolina's median of $83,840 is the highest among all states in this comparison, which means day-to-day hiring costs at the midpoint of the market are not lower here than in neighboring states.
Frequently asked questions about software engineer salary in North Carolina
How does North Carolina compare to other states for software engineer salary?
What do the top-earning software engineers make in North Carolina?
The 90th percentile threshold for software engineers in North Carolina is $86,000, but the statewide mean of $136,940 sits well above that figure. This reflects a segment of highly compensated roles pulling the average beyond the published distribution. When competing for senior talent in North Carolina, expect to budget meaningfully above $86,000 to attract candidates at the top of the market.
What is the salary range for a software engineer in North Carolina?
The published range runs from $50,000 at the 10th percentile to $86,000 at the 90th percentile, but the statewide mean of $136,940 sits above that upper threshold. This tells you that the distribution has a long upper tail driven by senior and specialized roles. Use the median of $83,840 as your anchor for a mid-level hire and plan for significantly higher figures when recruiting senior engineers.
What is the average software engineer salary in North Carolina?
The average software engineer salary in North Carolina is $136,940 per year. That figure sits 7.5% below the national mean of $148,100, so candidates with experience in higher-cost markets may arrive with higher salary expectations than the state average reflects. Anchoring your offer to the median of $83,840 and adjusting upward for seniority will give you a more defensible starting point for most hires.
Software Engineer salary by state
More North Carolina salary data
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 15-1252 (Software Developers).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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