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Accountant salary in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

Hiring an accountant costs less in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area than in North Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $75,790 a year1: 7.6% below the North Carolina statewide median of $82,050 and 9.4% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #299 of 521. About 1,770 accountants work here, 4% of the North Carolina total.

$6,316median pay per month in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area
$8,149employer cost per month with benefits
$36.44median pay per hour
1,770people in this job in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

BLS occupation 13-2011, area Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area against North Carolina and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)$49,790$75,790$128,300
North Carolina$53,610$82,050$146,100
United States$56,020$83,680$144,090
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of accountants in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area earns $60,750–$97,120. The top tenth earns $128,300 or more, 2.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($83,500) is 10% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $36,370 wide, against $42,970 across North Carolina and $42,790 nationally: employers in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for an accountant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$49,790$4,149$23.94$64,245
25th percentile$60,750$5,062$29.21$78,387
Median$75,790$6,316$36.44$97,794
75th percentile$97,120$8,093$46.69$125,316
90th percentile$128,300$10,692$61.68$165,548

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $21,330 a year in pay and about $27,523 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $15,040 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.

For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, and the North Carolina statewide median of $82,050 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $22,004 to the $75,790 median and brings it to $97,794 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.

$97,794local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$83,906difference in year one
86%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($94,390); recruiters come next at $64,080.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs accountantJobs
Project Coordinator
$94,390
+24.5%980
Accountant
$75,790
this role1,770
Recruiter
$64,080
-15.5%970
Marketing Specialist
$63,770
-15.9%720
Executive Assistant
$60,750
-19.8%300

Measured against the US median, accountants rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area (-9.4%), between e-commerce order specialists (-8.6%) and HR assistants (-10.6%). The typical role here is at -13.2%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost more in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 8.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, 9.4% across North Carolina and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.

Other areas in North Carolina

Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $73,740 in Jacksonville to $92,910 in Charlotte-Concord, a gap of $19,170 a year. All 5 areas in North Carolina with more accountants than the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area also pay more, among them Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC ($92,910) and Raleigh-Cary, NC ($81,950).

AreaMedianvs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro areaJobs
Wilmington, NC
$77,920
+2.8%1,520
Hickory-Lenoir, NC
$77,490
+2.2%1,040
Rocky Mount, NC
$76,960
+1.5%360
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$75,790
this area1,770
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
$75,750
-0.1%370
Greenville, NC
$75,140
-0.9%550
Central North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$75,120
-0.9%1,410

the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area is #111 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside North Carolina, Gainesville and Palm Bay-Melbourne pay just above the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area and Billings and Sierra Vista-Douglas just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$94,690
+24.9%1,740jobs
Portland-South Portland, ME
$79,790
+5.3%1,780jobs
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
$76,820
+1.4%1,740jobs
Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL
$75,860
+0.1%2,110pay
Gainesville, FL
$75,820
+0.0%1,010pay
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$75,790
this area1,770
Billings, MT
$75,780
-0.0%790pay
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
$75,780
-0.0%190pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)?

About $97,794 a year at the median, or $8,149 a month: $75,790 in pay plus about $22,004 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do accountants earn in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

The median was $75,790 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,790, the 90th $128,300, and the middle half earned $60,750 to $97,120.

Is the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for accountants?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $75,790 against $82,050 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Rocky Mount at $76,960, the next down Pinehurst-Southern Pines at $75,750.

How many accountants work in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 1,770 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the North Carolina total of 49,270. 5 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Winston-Salem, with about 2,030.

Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

Yes: $11,710 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,790 and $64,080.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.