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Marketing Specialist salary in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

The Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for marketing specialists: the median of $63,770 a year1 is 18.7% below the North Carolina statewide median of $78,410, and 19.0% below the US median of $78,760. Among US areas it comes in at #227 of 516. BLS counts about 720 people in this job here, 2% of the North Carolina total.

$5,314median pay per month in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area
$6,857employer cost per month with benefits
$30.66median pay per hour
720people in this job in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area

BLS occupation 13-1161, 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)$34,990$63,770$119,650
North Carolina$43,780$78,410$155,670
United States$43,390$78,760$155,480
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of marketing specialists in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area earns $47,990–$79,790. The top tenth earns $119,650 or more, 3.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 3.6 times. The mean ($70,840) is 11% 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 $31,800 wide, against $51,380 across North Carolina and $49,960 nationally: employers in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a marketing specialist here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$34,990$2,916$16.82$45,148
25th percentile$47,990$3,999$23.07$61,923
Median$63,770$5,314$30.66$82,284
75th percentile$79,790$6,649$38.36$102,955
90th percentile$119,650$9,971$57.52$154,387

The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,780 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $16,020, or about $20,671 once benefits are added. 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 the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, and the North Carolina statewide median of $78,410 falls there too.

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

At the $63,770 median, a local hire costs about $82,284 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,514 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 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.

$82,284local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$68,396difference in year one
83%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 #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($64,080) and executive assistants ($60,750). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,390.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs marketing specialistJobs
Accountant
$75,790
+18.8%1,770
Recruiter
$64,080
+0.5%970
Marketing Specialist
$63,770
this role720
Executive Assistant
$60,750
-4.7%300
Office Manager
$58,020
-9.0%1,920

Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area (-19.0%), between sales development representatives (-18.0%) and executive assistants (-20.7%). The typical role here is at -13.2%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 3.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, 5.9% across North Carolina and 5.7% 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 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 7 areas in North Carolina with more marketing specialists than the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, 1 pays less: Asheville, NC ($63,760).

AreaMedianvs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro areaJobs
Goldsboro, NC
$64,940
+1.8%110
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
$64,080
+0.5%160
Western North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$63,800
+0.0%700
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$63,770
this area720
Asheville, NC
$63,760
-0.0%850
Central North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$59,840
-6.2%570
Jacksonville, NC
$58,800
-7.8%170

the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area is #130 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside North Carolina, Iowa City and Wichita pay just above the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area and Terre Haute and Grand Junction just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$73,650
+15.5%730jobs
Charlottesville, VA
$72,010
+12.9%700jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$69,910
+9.6%740jobs
Wichita, KS
$63,890
+0.2%1,470pay
Iowa City, IA
$63,790
+0.0%460pay
Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$63,770
this area720
Terre Haute, IN
$63,710
-0.1%170pay
Grand Junction, CO
$63,640
-0.2%330pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro)?

About $82,284 a year at the median, or $6,857 a month: $63,770 in pay plus about $18,514 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do marketing specialists earn in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

The median was $63,770 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,990, the 90th $119,650, and the middle half earned $47,990 to $79,790.

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

Yes, it costs less: a median of $63,770 against $78,410 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is the Western North Carolina nonmetro area at $63,800, the next down Asheville at $63,760.

How many marketing specialists work in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 720 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the North Carolina total of 30,700. 7 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Asheville, with about 850.

Does a marketing specialist cost more than an executive assistant in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area?

Yes: $3,020 a year more at the median. The medians are $63,770 and $60,750.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: 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.