Marketing Specialist salary in Burlington, NC
Burlington pays marketing specialists close to the North Carolina norm. The median is $77,860 a year1, about level with the North Carolina statewide median of $78,410 and 1.1% below the US median of $78,760. Only 44 of 516 US areas pay more for this job. About 300 marketing specialists work here.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Burlington, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Burlington against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | $42,490 | $77,860 | $129,690 | |
| North Carolina | $43,780 | $78,410 | $155,670 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Burlington earns $57,850–$100,430. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $129,690, only 3.1 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $42,580 wide, against $51,380 across North Carolina and $49,960 nationally: employers in Burlington pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,490 | $3,541 | $20.43 | $54,826 |
| 25th percentile | $57,850 | $4,821 | $27.81 | $74,645 |
| Median | $77,860 | $6,488 | $37.43 | $100,465 |
| 75th percentile | $100,430 | $8,369 | $48.28 | $129,587 |
| 90th percentile | $129,690 | $10,808 | $62.35 | $167,342 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $22,570 a year in pay and about $29,123 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $20,010 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 $78,760 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Burlington, and the North Carolina statewide median of $78,410 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Burlington
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 $22,605 to the $77,860 median and brings it to $100,465 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 marketing specialists 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 Burlington
Of the 15 roles we track in Burlington, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($80,320) and recruiters ($69,500). Project Coordinator is the highest at $83,370.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +7.1% | 250 | |
| Accountant | +3.2% | 430 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 300 | |
| Recruiter | -10.7% | 280 | |
| Executive Assistant | -20.9% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 15 roles we track in Burlington (-1.1%); executive assistants come last (-19.5%). The typical role here is at -8.3%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost more in Burlington than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 5.0% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Burlington, 5.9% across North Carolina and 5.7% 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 $57,730 in Fayetteville to $93,110 in Durham-Chapel Hill, a gap of $35,380 a year. Of the 12 areas in North Carolina with more marketing specialists than Burlington, 9 pay less, the largest of them Greensboro-High Point, NC ($74,060), Winston-Salem, NC ($73,320) and Wilmington, NC ($69,480).
| Area | Median | vs Burlington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +19.6% | 2,740 | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +6.5% | 9,500 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +1.4% | 6,470 | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 300 | |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | -3.1% | 590 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -4.9% | 2,000 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -5.8% | 1,300 |
Burlington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Burlington is #280 of 514 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside North Carolina, Hartford-West Hartford and Sacramento-Roseville pay just above Burlington and Bend and Nashville-Murfreesboro just below. All four are within $770 a year of the median in Burlington. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Burlington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +1.0% | 4,470 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +0.5% | 3,080 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 300 | ||
| Bend, OR | -0.8% | 510 | pay | |
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | -0.8% | 5,510 | pay | |
| Pittsfield, MA | -2.5% | 300 | jobs | |
| Amarillo, TX | -21.2% | 310 | jobs | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -39.2% | 310 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Burlington, NC?
About $100,465 a year at the median, or $8,372 a month: $77,860 in pay plus about $22,605 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for marketing specialists in Burlington?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $77,860 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,490, the 90th $129,690, and the middle half earned $57,850 to $100,430.
Is Burlington cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for marketing specialists?
About the same: a median of $77,860 against $78,410 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Raleigh-Cary at $78,980, the next down Hickory-Lenoir at $75,450.
How many marketing specialists work in Burlington?
BLS counts about 300 in the May 2025 survey. 12 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Fayetteville, with about 360.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a recruiter in Burlington?
Yes: $8,360 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,860 and $69,500.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: 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.