Marketing Specialist salary in Wilmington, NC
Hiring a marketing specialist costs less in Wilmington than in North Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $69,480 a year1: 11.4% below the North Carolina statewide median of $78,410 and 11.8% below the US median of $78,760. Among US areas it comes in at #133 of 516. About 880 marketing specialists work here, 3% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Wilmington, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Wilmington against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NC | $38,030 | $69,480 | $154,990 | |
| North Carolina | $43,780 | $78,410 | $155,670 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $154,990 or more, 4.1 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of marketing specialists in Wilmington earns $50,280–$98,440. The mean ($80,060) is 15% 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 $48,160 wide, against $51,380 across North Carolina and $49,960 nationally: employers in Wilmington 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 | $38,030 | $3,169 | $18.28 | $49,071 |
| 25th percentile | $50,280 | $4,190 | $24.17 | $64,877 |
| Median | $69,480 | $5,790 | $33.40 | $89,652 |
| 75th percentile | $98,440 | $8,203 | $47.33 | $127,019 |
| 90th percentile | $154,990 | $12,916 | $74.51 | $199,987 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $28,960 over the median, the 25th only $19,200 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $37,368 a year in employer cost. 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 Wilmington, and the North Carolina statewide median of $78,410 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Wilmington
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 $20,172 to the $69,480 median and brings it to $89,652 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 Wilmington
Of the 17 roles we track in Wilmington, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($77,920) and sales development representatives ($64,520). Project Coordinator is the highest at $89,120.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +28.3% | 1,220 | |
| Accountant | +12.1% | 1,520 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 880 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -7.1% | 1,730 | |
| Recruiter | -7.3% | 850 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Wilmington (-11.8%), between payroll specialists (-11.6%) and medical administrative assistants (-12.8%). The typical role here is at -10.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Marketing specialists hold 4.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Wilmington, 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. All 5 areas in North Carolina with more marketing specialists than Wilmington also pay more, among them Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC ($82,930) and Raleigh-Cary, NC ($78,980).
| Area | Median | vs Wilmington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | +6.6% | 2,000 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | +5.5% | 1,300 | |
| Greenville, NC | +5.5% | 270 | |
| Wilmington, NC | this area | 880 | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | -1.1% | 160 | |
| Goldsboro, NC | -6.5% | 110 | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -7.8% | 160 |
Wilmington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Wilmington is #114 of 514 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, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake and Staunton-Stuarts Draft pay just above Wilmington and Wenatchee-East Wenatchee and Anchorage just below. All four are within $760 a year of the median in Wilmington. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Wilmington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | +0.3% | 160 | pay | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | +0.1% | 3,500 | pay | |
| Wilmington, NC | this area | 880 | ||
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | -0.5% | 160 | pay | |
| Anchorage, AK | -1.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Green Bay, WI | -9.3% | 830 | jobs | |
| Albuquerque, NM | -10.7% | 900 | jobs | |
| Springfield, MO | -17.6% | 900 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Wilmington, NC?
About $89,652 a year at the median, or $7,471 a month: $69,480 in pay plus about $20,172 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for marketing specialists in Wilmington?
The median was $69,480 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $38,030, the 90th $154,990, and the middle half earned $50,280 to $98,440.
Is Wilmington cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $69,480 against $78,410 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Greenville at $73,300, the next down Rocky Mount at $68,730.
How many marketing specialists work in Wilmington?
BLS counts about 880 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the North Carolina total of 30,700. 5 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Winston-Salem, with about 1,300.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a sales development representative in Wilmington?
Yes: $4,960 a year more at the median. The medians are $69,480 and $64,520.
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.