SOC 13-2011

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Burlington, NC (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + NC
COL Index: 100.5 (+0.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.5% Realized
$59,072 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $80,320 $38.62/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.45% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$16,428 $631.86/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $38.62 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,819/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,060/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$7,780
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,980
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,165
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,504
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$59,072 ($2,272.01 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Burlington, NC Accountant & Auditor Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $80,320
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $51.8k 25th $62.5k Median: $80,320 50th (Median) $80.3k 75th $101k 90th $130k You: $80,320
10th (Entry) $51,830 $24.92/hr
25th (Junior) $62,460 $30.03/hr
50th (Median) $80,320 $38.62/hr
75th (Senior) $100,530 $48.33/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $130,460 $62.72/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Accountant & Auditor in Burlington, NC
1
Staff AccountantBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$53,751$25.84/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior AccountantDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; CPA license
$64,310$30.92/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Accounting ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; CPA license
$80,339$38.62/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Corporate ControllerOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$105,391$50.67/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Vice President of FinanceExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$138,314$66.50/hr · 14+ Years
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Managers+$82,890/yr
National median: $166,570
Skill overlap: 94%View Salary
Financial Examiners+$10,480/yr
National median: $94,160
Skill overlap: 93%
Tax Preparers-$28,760/yr
National median: $54,920
Skill overlap: 93%
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks-$33,010/yr
National median: $50,670
Skill overlap: 89%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Burlington, NC under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
25% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,238/month Requires minimum annual gross of $49,520
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,348/month Requires minimum annual gross of $53,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.23/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.40/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Burlington, NC.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$80,320-$16,428$59,072$2,272.01
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$95,380-$21,260$68,397$2,630.67
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$110,440-$26,091$77,723$2,989.33
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$125,500-$30,922$87,048$3,347.98
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$140,560-$35,960$96,166$3,698.70
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Accountant & Auditor in Burlington, NC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and North Carolina tax codes.

Market Baseline
$80,320/yr
$38.62/hr · SOC 13-2011
Statutory Tax Drag
20.45% Effective
-$16,428 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
25% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,685/mo
Post-$1,238/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 13-2011
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Accountant & Auditor in Burlington, NC: Market Snapshot

Accountant & Auditor roles in Burlington, NC report a median annual wage of $80,320, 4.0% below the national median of $83,680. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $51,830 to $130,460, and HUD’s $1,238 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.5% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.23 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Accountant & Auditor

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$121,700+51.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$110,730+37.9%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$105,650+31.5%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$102,140+27.2%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$102,020+27.0%
Midland, TX$100,890+25.6%
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$100,420+25.0%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$100,150+24.7%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$100,020+24.5%
Boulder, CO$99,990+24.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Burlington, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Computer and Information Systems Managers$165,490$79.56/hr
Marketing Managers$164,770$79.22/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$163,020$78.38/hr
Purchasing Managers$152,870$73.50/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$150,080$72.15/hr
Human Resources Managers$135,220$65.01/hr
Financial Manager$134,760$64.79/hr
Nurse Practitioner$131,980$63.45/hr
Sales Managers$129,740$62.38/hr
Software Engineer$127,570$61.33/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 393 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Burlington, NC (2026) Overview

Accountant & Auditor median pay in Burlington, NC is $80,320 a year ($38.62/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for an Accountant & Auditor in Burlington, NC?

The median annual wage is $80,320 ($38.62 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $51,830 and $130,460. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for an Accountant & Auditor in Burlington, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $80,320, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $62,639 a year ($5,220 a month) after $17,681 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.01%, using 2026 tax rules.