North Carolina is dual-hatted as a major military center and research hub. With major military installations like Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune, along with The Triangle located in the Piedmont of North Carolina, North Carolina benefits from a solid investment in both new talent and new infrastructure. The state ranks #1 for industry sponsored research and #3 for its active duty military presence. North Carolina saw the second highest increase in total compensation compared to other top states for cleared jobs, with average total compensation of $80,380, a 7% increase from 2018, the last time ClearanceJobs conducted a comprehensive salary survey. The state of North Carolina benefits from academic prowess, including N.C. State’s quantum computing hub, and research and tech infrastructure and investment. From biotechnology to unmanned systems, North Carolina has the tech and the talent to compete.
Compensation by Clearance Level
Secret clearance holders had the highest pay increases at 6%, but Top Secret security clearances offered the highest pay, $89,690. Intel, DHS, and other security clearances make up too small of a pool to be considered in the survey responses. While facilities such as the NSA’s Laboratory for Analytic Sciences, located at NC State University, are in operation, DoD security clearance holders are the majority talent pool in the state.
Compensation by Career Level
North Carolina follows the trend of paying for experience, with professionals at the Management level earning more than double entry-level professionals. Entry-level compensation also saw the highest jump between 2018 and 2020, 14%. Entry-level compensation in North Carolina is an average of $48,278, higher than the median annual wage for all entry-level professionals of $39,810, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. North Carolina is actively fighting against the STEM talent shortage with more than 22,700 STEM degrees awarded annually. Where it’s not growing entry-level talent, it’s actively welcoming it—26% of North Carolina residents are millennials.
Mission Supporting Roles Keep Growing in North Carolina
Data Scientists are the highest paying cleared professionals with average total compensation of $156,000. IT-Software professionals earn the second highest salaries, with average total compensation of $114,750. Management professionals, including project managers and team leaders are the third highest paid professionals, with average total compensation of $99,578. Engineering professionals, including aerospace and unmanned systems engineers are the fourth highest paid cleared professionals. Rounding out the top five are IT-Security professionals. Whether it’s unmanned systems or aerospace engineering, it takes cleared security professionals to keep systems safe and compliant.
North Carolina has strengths with military, research, and academia. But leaders in the state still say there’s room to grow. A recent report put together with help from the North Carolina Defense Alliance noted that despite strong military and university presence, North Carolina ranks 23rd in DoD spending on businesses and research organizations. The good news is the state is showing solid job growth in key areas to attract new defense investment. And with cleared salaries also on the rise, it’s poised to continue to attract and retain cleared talent to fill those mission-critical roles
