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North Carolina salary, ages 16-19

Based on U.S. Census ACS 1-year 2024 PUMS · full-time, year-round wage earners

Full-time ages 16-19 workers in North Carolina earn a median of $24,366, ranking #38 of 51 states — around the national middle. The average is about $26,035, and the top 10% earn at least $45,686.

What is the median salary for ages 16-19 workers in North Carolina, and how does it rank?: About $24,366 — #38 of 51 states (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS).
How does North Carolina compare to the top-paying state for ages 16-19?: The highest is Rhode Island (median $53,245); North Carolina is $24,366.
Which age group earns the most in North Carolina?: ages 40-44, with a median of about $65,991.
Is pay spread out for ages 16-19 in North Carolina?: Fairly even — the top 10% earn about 4.5× the bottom 10%.
What do the top 10% / 25% earn at ages 16-19 in North Carolina?: Top 10% earn at least $45,686; top 25% at least $30,458.
What do the bottom 10% / 25% earn at ages 16-19 in North Carolina?: Bottom 10% earn at most $10,153; bottom 25% at most $17,259.

Full-time ages 16-19 workers in North Carolina earn a median of $24,366, ranking #38 of 51 states — around the national middle. The top 10% earn at least $45,686 and the top 25% at least $30,458; the bottom 25% earn at most $17,259 and the bottom 10% at most $10,153. The average is $26,035. Monthly pay is about $2,031, hourly wage about $11.71. U.S. Census ACS 1-year 2024 PUMS · full-time, year-round wage earners, released 2025-10-16.

Distribution within this group

High earnerstop 10%
$45,686
Above the middletop 25%
$30,458
Middle of the packhalf earn more, half less
$24,366
Below the middlebottom 25%
$17,259
Low earnersbottom 10%
$10,153

Longer bar means higher earnings

Per month, per hour

Based on a typical (median) earner

Monthly$2,031annual ÷ 12
Hourly$11.7assuming 40 hrs/week, 52 weeks
Take-home monthly$1,766single filer · no dependents

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At a glance

Ranks #38 of 51 states for ages 16-19
24% lower than the next-younger cohort
Highest in this age group: Rhode Island ({value})
Top 10% earn 4.5x more than the bottom 10%
$50K is in the top 7.8% for this age group
Pay peaks at ages 40-44; this cohort is at 37% of that peak

Top-paying occupations at this age

Ranked by median pay for this state and age group (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS; low-sample occupations excluded).

Occupation	Median pay
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair	$30,458
Food Preparation and Serving Related	$20,305
Sales and Related	$20,305

About this page

This page covers the salary distribution of full-time ages 16-19 wage and salary earners in North Carolina, U.S. The median is $24,366 — #38 of 51 states — and the average is $26,035. In North Carolina, the peak-earning age band is ages 40-44 (median $65,991). Figures are aggregated from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS microdata in five-year age bands.

How we calculated

Figures for North Carolina ages 16-19 are tabulated from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS microdata, restricted to full-time, year-round wage and salary earners and grouped into five-year age bands. On this page the median is $24,366 and the 10th–90th percentile range runs $10,153–$45,686; the upper and lower percentiles come from rank statistics on the same sample. Self-employment and irregular income are excluded.

Data Sources

U.S. Census ACS 1-year 2024 PUMS (state · age weighted distribution): https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/microdata/access.html

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