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.
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
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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 range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer 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.
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.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +24.5% | 980 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,770 | |
| Recruiter | -15.5% | 970 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -15.9% | 720 | |
| Executive Assistant | -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).
| Area | Median | vs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | +2.8% | 1,520 | |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | +2.2% | 1,040 | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | +1.5% | 360 | |
| Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,770 | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -0.1% | 370 | |
| Greenville, NC | -0.9% | 550 | |
| Central North Carolina (Nonmetro) | -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 area | Median | vs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +24.9% | 1,740 | jobs | |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | +5.3% | 1,780 | jobs | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | +1.4% | 1,740 | jobs | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +0.1% | 2,110 | pay | |
| Gainesville, FL | +0.0% | 1,010 | pay | |
| Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,770 | ||
| Billings, MT | -0.0% | 790 | pay | |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | -0.0% | 190 | pay |
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
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.