HR Assistant salary in Raleigh-Cary, NC
Raleigh-Cary pays HR assistants close to the North Carolina norm. The median is $48,640 a year1, about level with the North Carolina statewide median of $48,190 and 3.9% below the US median of $50,610. Among US areas it comes in at #182 of 384. BLS counts about 370 people in this job here, 13% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area Raleigh-Cary, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Raleigh-Cary against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $35,860 | $48,640 | $63,120 | |
| North Carolina | $35,270 | $48,190 | $62,780 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
The middle half of HR assistants in Raleigh-Cary earns $42,340–$57,290. The top tenth earns $63,120 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.8 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $14,950 wide, between the figure for North Carolina ($14,020) and the US figure ($15,770).
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,860 | $2,988 | $17.24 | $46,271 |
| 25th percentile | $42,340 | $3,528 | $20.36 | $54,632 |
| Median | $48,640 | $4,053 | $23.38 | $62,761 |
| 75th percentile | $57,290 | $4,774 | $27.54 | $73,923 |
| 90th percentile | $63,120 | $5,260 | $30.35 | $81,445 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,650 a year in pay and about $11,161 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,300 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 $50,610 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Raleigh-Cary, and the North Carolina statewide median of $48,190 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Raleigh-Cary
At the $48,640 median, a local hire costs about $62,761 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,121 here. 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 HR assistants 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 Raleigh-Cary
Of the 17 roles we track in Raleigh-Cary, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($50,200) and administrative assistants ($48,500). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,280.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +11.2% | 590 | |
| Bookkeeper | +3.2% | 7,550 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 370 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -0.3% | 7,170 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -2.5% | 380 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Raleigh-Cary (-3.9%), between virtual receptionists (-3.8%) and executive assistants (-4.0%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. HR assistants hold 0.4% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Raleigh-Cary, 0.5% across North Carolina and 0.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 16 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $44,980 in Jacksonville to $51,500 in Greenville, a gap of $6,520 a year. The one area in North Carolina with more HR assistants, Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC ($49,760), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Raleigh-Cary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +2.3% | 780 | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | +2.3% | 30 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | +2.1% | 170 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | this area | 370 | |
| Central North Carolina (Nonmetro) | -0.7% | 120 | |
| Western North Carolina (Nonmetro) | -2.2% | 140 | |
| Wilmington, NC | -2.5% | 60 |
Raleigh-Cary against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Raleigh-Cary is #49 of 382 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, Harrisburg-Carlisle and Eugene-Springfield pay just above Raleigh-Cary and Milwaukee-Waukesha and Duluth just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Raleigh-Cary. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Raleigh-Cary | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | +0.6% | 370 | jobs | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | +0.1% | 60 | pay | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | +0.1% | 250 | pay | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | this area | 370 | ||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -0.0% | 610 | pay | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -0.2% | 110 | pay | |
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | -5.0% | 370 | jobs | |
| Columbia, SC | -6.6% | 380 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
About $62,761 a year at the median, or $5,230 a month: $48,640 in pay plus about $14,121 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do HR assistants earn in Raleigh-Cary?
The median was $48,640 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,860, the 90th $63,120, and the middle half earned $42,340 to $57,290.
Is Raleigh-Cary cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for HR assistants?
About the same: a median of $48,640 against $48,190 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Greensboro-High Point at $49,660, the next down the Central North Carolina nonmetro area at $48,310.
How many HR assistants work in Raleigh-Cary?
BLS counts about 370 in the May 2025 survey. That is 13% of the North Carolina total of 2,790. Only Charlotte-Concord has more in North Carolina.
Does an HR assistant cost more than an administrative assistant in Raleigh-Cary?
Yes: $140 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,640 and $48,500.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: 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.