Official data · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 FIPS 37183 Ver en español

Wake County · North Carolina · United States

What trades pay in Wake County

This is what each kind of business actually pays in Wake County. The numbers come from the payroll that employers report to the government by law, not from salaries people type into a website.

$1,130 Median weekly pay across these 42 trades. $2,275 — $413.

Weekly pay, highest to lowest

TradePer week vs 2023
Offices of lawyersNAICS 541110 · 838 businesses · 5,491 employees$2,275$118,282 a year+2.8%up
Engineering servicesNAICS 541330 · 758 businesses · 12,249 employees$2,185$113,646 a year+6.1%up
Residential building constructiongroupNAICS 2361 · 1,295 businesses · 6,921 employees$2,067$107,494 a year+6.4%up
Offices of physiciansNAICS 621111 · 832 businesses · 9,673 employees$2,034$105,764 a year+3.0%up
New car dealersNAICS 441110 · 86 businesses · 6,401 employees$1,661$86,391 a year-3.1%down
Specialized freight trucking, long-distanceNAICS 484230 · 16 businesses · 106 employees$1,580$82,134 a year-4.1%down
Real estate agents and brokersNAICS 531210 · 1,382 businesses · 2,869 employees$1,580$82,180 a year-3.2%down
Machine shopsNAICS 332710 · 31 businesses · 450 employees$1,552$80,714 a year+18.5%up
Highway, street and bridge constructiongroupNAICS 2373 · 46 businesses · 3,012 employees$1,551$80,675 a year+8.2%up
Plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractorsgroupNAICS 2382 · 1,032 businesses · 14,237 employees$1,521$79,069 a year+5.3%up
Offices of dentistsNAICS 621210 · 602 businesses · 5,376 employees$1,480$76,939 a year+2.1%up
Foundation, structure and building exteriorgroupNAICS 2381 · 565 businesses · 4,906 employees$1,395$72,539 a year+2.8%up
Other specialty trade contractorsgroupNAICS 2389 · 289 businesses · 3,789 employees$1,338$69,596 a year+2.9%up
Automotive body and paintNAICS 811121 · 120 businesses · 1,172 employees$1,334$69,363 a year+1.6%up
Building finishing: painting, carpentry, flooringgroupNAICS 2383 · 624 businesses · 4,154 employees$1,284$66,763 a year+3.4%up
Tax preparation servicesNAICS 541213 · 101 businesses · 276 employees$1,259$65,447 a year+7.6%up
General automotive repairNAICS 811111 · 323 businesses · 2,014 employees$1,230$63,985 a year+5.5%up
Long-distance truck driving (general freight)NAICS 484121 · 226 businesses · 693 employees$1,192$61,984 a year-1.2%down
Used car dealersNAICS 441120 · 148 businesses · 989 employees$1,189$61,812 a year+2.7%up
Local truck driving (general freight)NAICS 484110 · 184 businesses · 677 employees$1,146$59,617 a year+6.4%up
Solid waste collectionNAICS 562111 · 36 businesses · 792 employees$1,130$58,773 a year+4.6%up
Physical and occupational therapyNAICS 621340 · 268 businesses · 2,330 employees$1,075$55,908 a year+2.2%up
Taxi and ride serviceNAICS 485310 · 9 businesses · 29 employees$1,004$52,215 a year+5.4%up
Landscaping servicesNAICS 561730 · 522 businesses · 5,345 employees$952$49,491 a year+4.8%up
Nursing care facilitiesNAICS 623110 · 42 businesses · 2,268 employees$946$49,206 a year-0.2%flat
Couriers and express deliveryNAICS 492110 · 77 businesses · 3,220 employees$940$48,903 a year+9.2%up
Barber shopsNAICS 812111 · 54 businesses · 356 employees$916$47,656 a year+0.7%up
Home health care servicesNAICS 621610 · 190 businesses · 4,440 employees$856$44,501 a year-4.6%down
Beauty salonsNAICS 812112 · 453 businesses · 2,176 employees$761$39,593 a year+3.4%up
Security guards and patrolNAICS 561612 · 56 businesses · 2,976 employees$699$36,328 a year+10.1%up
Other services to buildingsNAICS 561790 · 115 businesses · 1,113 employees$691$35,928 a year-2.9%down
Automotive oil change and lubricationNAICS 811191 · 53 businesses · 400 employees$667$34,675 a year+1.4%up
Child day care servicesNAICS 624410 · 334 businesses · 5,102 employees$662$34,437 a year+3.1%up
Nail salonsNAICS 812113 · 89 businesses · 183 employees$594$30,867 a year+2.4%up
Janitorial servicesNAICS 561720 · 454 businesses · 5,268 employees$592$30,801 a year+2.4%up
Convenience storesNAICS 445131 · 61 businesses · 221 employees$591$30,747 a year+6.3%up
CaterersNAICS 722320 · 57 businesses · 1,018 employees$590$30,658 a year-3.9%down
Supermarkets and grocery storesNAICS 445110 · 235 businesses · 12,783 employees$581$30,208 a year+5.1%up
Full-service restaurantsNAICS 722511 · 1,116 businesses · 24,440 employees$551$28,658 a year+1.5%up
Retail bakeriesNAICS 311811 · 63 businesses · 589 employees$452$23,481 a year+5.1%up
Limited-service restaurantsNAICS 722513 · 1,028 businesses · 20,641 employees$433$22,507 a year+1.9%up
Snack and coffee shopsNAICS 722515 · 320 businesses · 4,222 employees$413$21,495 a year+5.1%up

What this number is, and what it is not

It is the average of the entire payroll of that kind of business, split across everyone on it: the helper who started yesterday, the twenty-year veteran, and the person running the office. An experienced worker earns more than the average for their line; someone starting out, less.

Rows marked group are groups because the government does not publish plumbing, electrical and HVAC separately at the county level. We would rather say so than invent the breakdown.

Trades where the government hides the pay — because there are few employers and you could tell who we mean — are left out instead of shown as zero.

How the county is doing

Businesses131,842
Employees2,113,153
Annual payroll$147 M
Net movement of people+5,646People per year, arrivals minus departures.

Where people move

The counties that take in the most people from Wake County. Same trade, different pay.

Other counties in North Carolina

The same trades, priced differently a county over.

For the business owner

Do you own one of these 131,842 businesses?

People looking for work in your trade, in your county, are reading this page. Your business can appear next to its row, with your phone and what you pay.

Appear on this page
What is the average weekly pay in Wake County?
Across the 42 trades on this page, the middle one pays $1,130 a week. The highest pays $2,275 and the lowest $413.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the payroll that employers in Wake County report to the government by law for unemployment insurance, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2024. They are not salaries people report about themselves.
Why is my trade not listed?
The government hides the pay for a trade when a county has few employers in it, because the figure would point at a specific business. We leave those out rather than show a zero.