Lawyer · North Carolina · SOC 23-1011
Lawyer Salary in North Carolina (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-07.
TL;DR
- BLS reports North Carolina Lawyer median pay at $124,880. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $132,290.
- State ranks #28 nationally on nominal wage, #23 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
- Cost of living below the national index lifts real wage by $7,410 over the nominal — a take-home arbitrage that nominal-ranking tables miss.
- Mid-band breakdown: P25 $79,420, P50 $124,880, P75 $202,320. Tail percentiles withheld by BLS — common when tech-sector wages exceed the OES survey cap.
Wage breakdown — North Carolina
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $58,820 | $62,310 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $79,420 | $84,132 |
| P50 (median) | $124,880 | $132,290 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $202,320 | $214,324 |
| P90 (top tier) | ||
| Mean | $159,830 | $169,313 |
| Employment | 17,380 Lawyers in North Carolina | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | North Carolina index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 94.4 |
| Goods | 96.8 |
| Services | 83.6 |
| Rents | 80.8 |
North Carolina sits below the national baseline (RPP 94.4), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 80.8.
After-tax take-home — North Carolina (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Lawyer) | $124,880 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$18,789 | 15.0% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$4,766 | 4.25% flat (2026) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$9,553 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $91,772 | 73.5% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $97,217 | ÷ (94.4 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the North Carolina state-tax burden means for Lawyer take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $91,772 (73.5% of gross). After the 94.4 RPP, real take-home is $97,217.
Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).
National context
Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $151,160 for Lawyers with mean pay of $182,760 and total employment of 747,750. North Carolina sits at #28 on nominal pay and #23 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, North Carolina climbs 5 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Lawyer salary in North Carolina?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 94.4 for North Carolina), the real-wage equivalent is $132,290 — what the $124,880 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $84,132 to $214,324.
- How are North Carolina Lawyer salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- How many Lawyers does North Carolina employ?
- BLS OES counts 17,380 Lawyers employed in North Carolina in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Why is the BEA RPP for North Carolina different from a single CPI number?
- BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. North Carolina's overall index of 94.4 reflects rents 80.8, services 83.6, and goods 96.8.
- Where does North Carolina rank for Lawyer pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, North Carolina ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
- When does this data update?
- BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
- Is the North Carolina bar reciprocity (admission on motion / UBE) factor relevant to pay?
- Yes — North Carolina's admission-on-motion rules (or UBE-score portability) determine whether out-of-state lawyers can practice without re-sitting the bar exam, which affects labor-supply elasticity for senior roles. North Carolina markets that allow broad admission on motion typically see less premium for in-state-only attorneys at the lateral level. The DeepComps Bar Admission Reciprocity by State page (linked under license reciprocity) tracks current rules; states with strict re-sit requirements show more pay compression for incoming senior laterals.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 23-1011, 2024 reference period.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
- Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
- See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.
Cross-comparison: see how North Carolina Lawyer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.