Software Developers salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Software Developers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 North Carolina tax rules.
The figures
The median Software Developers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area earns $135,920 a year ($65.35 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Software Developers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn between $107,680 and $165,050 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $93,690 or less and the top 10 percent earn $172,360 or more. BLS estimates 20,820 Software Developers jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area — 15.327 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.41 (well above the national concentration). That is 1.2% of all Software Developers employment in the United States (1,687,890 jobs nationally). By employment, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is the #17 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Software Developers. In aggregate, Software Developers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn about $2.89 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $101,254.34 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Software Developers is about $2.11 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.6% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #11 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Software Developers. By employment, Software Developers is the #8 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Placed against the national distribution for Software Developers, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $135,920 falls between the national 25th percentile ($105,210) and the national median ($135,980). Across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median is $49,990 a year — Software Developers pay is 171.9% above the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $66.84 | $139,030 |
| 10th percentile | $45.04 | $93,690 |
| 25th percentile | $51.77 | $107,680 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $65.35 | $135,920 |
| 75th percentile | $79.35 | $165,050 |
| 90th percentile | $82.86 | $172,360 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Software Developers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn 1.8 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($172,360 against $93,690). The middle half spans $57,370 — from $107,680 to $165,050. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($82.86) is 1.84 times the 10th ($45.04). In the upper half of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $165,050 takes home $118,000.92 and the 90th percentile wage of $172,360 takes home $122,705.72 — $4,704.80 more net for $7,310 more gross. Against the median take-home of $99,252.72, the top decile keeps 1.24 times as much. The mean wage of $139,030 sits 2.3% above the median: higher-paid Software Developers pull the average up in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Among the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Software Developers ranks #1 by median pay. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage ladder of covered occupations, Software Developers sits just above General and Operations Managers at $112,730. Software Developers accounts for 1.5% of all employment in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area. The average covered metro employs 36,902 Software Developers; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC employs 0.6 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in North Carolina
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in North Carolina; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $135,920.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $21,354.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $8,427.04 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $1,970.84 |
| North Carolina income tax | $4,914.48 |
| Total deductions | $36,667.28 |
| Net pay (annual) | $99,252.72 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $3,817.41 |
| Total deduction rate | 26.98% of gross |
At the median, $99,252.72 of the $135,920 gross is kept ($3,817.41 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 26.98%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 23.67% at the 10th percentile, 24.97% at the 25th percentile, 28.51% at the 75th percentile, 28.81% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $37,205.70 on a gross rise of $57,370.
The same engine at the other published points of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($93,690) | $71,511.48 | $2,750.44 | 23.67% |
| 25th percentile ($107,680) | $80,795.22 | $3,107.51 | 24.97% |
| Median ($135,920) | $99,252.72 | $3,817.41 | 26.98% |
| 75th percentile ($165,050) | $118,000.92 | $4,538.50 | 28.51% |
| 90th percentile ($172,360) | $122,705.72 | $4,719.45 | 28.81% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $71,511.48 a year at the 10th percentile to $122,705.72 at the 90th — a spread of $51,194.24 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median wage of $49,990 takes home $40,860.88 a year ($1,571.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.26%). The Software Developers median take-home of $99,252.72 sits $58,391.84 (above that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC also covers parts of South Carolina. The take-home estimate above uses North Carolina rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the South Carolina paycheck calculator.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Software Developers earns $135,980 a year ($65.38 an hour). The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $135,920 is $60 (0.0%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $139,030 a year in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC against $148,100 nationally, a gap of $9,070 (6.1%).
Set against the whole local market, the Software Developers 90th percentile of $172,360 is 132% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC all-occupations 90th percentile ($130,510), and its 10th percentile of $93,690 is 316% of the area-wide 10th ($29,640).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $135,920 | $65.35 | $139,030 |
| United States | $135,980 | $65.38 | $148,100 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Software Developers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$135,920 a year ($65.35 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $139,030 a year. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #11 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $135,920 in North Carolina?
About $99,252.72 a year ($3,817.41 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 26.98% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $165,050, take-home is $118,000.92.
How does pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC compare with the national median for Software Developers?
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $135,920 is $60 (0.0%) below the national median of $135,980 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $172,360, against a national 90th percentile of $214,670.
How much do the top 10% of Software Developers earn in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$172,360 a year or more ($82.86 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Software Developers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
On $172,360 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $122,705.72 a year ($4,719.45 per biweekly paycheck) in North Carolina under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 28.81%.
How many Software Developers jobs are there in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
BLS estimates 20,820 Software Developers jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — 15.327 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Software Developers jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The location quotient is 1.41 — well above the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Software Developers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
From $71,511.48 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($93,690) to $122,705.72 at the 90th ($172,360), under the same single-filer assumptions in North Carolina.
What is the total wage bill for Software Developers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
About $2.89 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 20,820 multiplied by the mean wage of $139,030.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.