Buyer Salary in North Carolina (2026)
Typical pay is $75,880 a year, with most buyers in North Carolina earning between $60,000 and $97,550. Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Salary Calculator›Buyer›North Carolina
The typical buyer in North Carolina earns $75,880 a year, 2% less than the national median. Early-career pay starts around $60,000, experienced buyers earn $97,550 or more, and the top 10% make over $127,860. About 14,290 people work in this occupation in North Carolina.
Buyer salary in North Carolina
Annual pay, BLS survey of May 2025
What buyers do
Buyers and purchasing agents source materials, parts and services, negotiate prices and terms, and manage supplier relationships. BLS combines buyers and purchasing agents into one occupation, which is the one used here.
Buyer pay by metro area in North Carolina
Typical annual pay in each North Carolina metro area where BLS publishes figures for buyers.
| Metro area | Typical | Early career | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $79,620 | $64,820 | $103,230 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $77,890 | $62,280 | $98,120 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $77,210 | $62,170 | $99,150 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $75,880 | $55,640 | $103,040 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $74,680 | $51,250 | $95,620 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $73,920 | $58,070 | $96,570 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $72,540 | $58,220 | $91,970 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $71,930 | $58,420 | $90,030 |
| Wilmington, NC | $70,800 | $57,260 | $94,480 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $70,040 | $51,560 | $89,020 |
| Greenville, NC | $70,000 | $56,000 | $91,170 |
| Burlington, NC | $69,240 | $58,900 | $85,040 |
| Asheville, NC | $67,600 | $55,720 | $86,960 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $65,460 | $54,300 | $83,290 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $62,350 | $54,030 | $79,400 |
| United States | $77,710 | $60,800 | $100,820 |
Other engineering, design and supply chain salaries in North Carolina
| Role | Typical |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineer | $100,720 |
| Electrical Engineer | $110,130 |
| Controls Engineer | $110,130 |
| Civil Engineer | $100,730 |
| Process Engineer | $117,410 |
| Industrial Engineer | $99,310 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $122,930 |
| Environmental Engineer | $99,440 |
| Engineering Manager | $167,840 |
| Construction Manager | $106,640 |
| Architect | $95,700 |
| CAD Designer | $62,750 |
| Mechanical Designer | $59,050 |
| Supply Chain Analyst | $80,780 |
| Software Developer | $134,710 |
Buyer salary FAQs
How much does a buyer make in North Carolina?
The typical (median) buyer in North Carolina earns $75,880 a year, or about $36.48 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
What is the entry-level salary for a buyer in North Carolina?
Early-career buyers in North Carolina typically earn around $60,000 (the 25th percentile), and the lowest-paid 10% earn under $48,440. Degree, internships, licenses and the industry all move starting pay.
How much do experienced buyers earn in North Carolina?
Experienced buyers in North Carolina earn $97,550 or more (the 75th percentile), and the top 10% earn over $127,860.
Do buyers earn more in North Carolina than the national average?
The typical buyer in North Carolina earns 2% less than the national median of $77,710. Prices in North Carolina are 5.7% below the US average (BEA, 2024), so the same salary goes a little further there.
Are buyers in demand?
BLS projects employment in this occupation to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all jobs, with about 47,200 openings a year nationally as people retire, change jobs or the field grows.
Hiring buyers in North Carolina?
Where these numbers come from
Pay figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (OEWS), which surveys about 1.1 million employer locations and is the government's main source of pay by occupation and location. This page uses the May 2025 survey, released in 2026, and updates itself when BLS publishes the next year's figures. Job outlook comes from the BLS Employment Projections for 2025–35. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024, where the US average is 100.
Pay is base wages and salary before tax. It does not include bonuses, overtime, benefits or equity. Early career is the 25th percentile (a quarter of workers earn less), Typical is the median and Experienced is the 75th percentile. The bar shows the full range from the 10th to the 90th percentile. The salary rank check estimates a percentile by drawing straight lines between those five published points.
BLS groups some job titles together. Controls engineers, for example, are counted with electrical engineers, and CAD designers with drafters. Each result names the BLS occupation it uses so you can see exactly what is being measured. BLS does not publish every occupation in every area, for example when too few people in a job were surveyed or when a figure does not meet its reliability standards. When a metro figure is missing, the calculator shows the state figure, or the national figure if the state is also missing, and says so.
BLS occupation used on this page: Buyers and Purchasing Agents (SOC 13-1020).