SOC 29-1071

Physician Assistant Salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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: 99.38 (-0.6% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 69.3% Realized
$88,106 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $127,210 $61.16/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24.74% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$31,471 $1,210.42/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 $61.16 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,633/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,679/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$17,477
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,887
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,845
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,262
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$88,106 ($3,388.71 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Physician Assistant Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $127,210
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $101k 25th $108k Median: $127,210 50th (Median) $127k 75th $136k 90th $158k You: $127,210
10th (Entry) $100,870 $48.50/hr
25th (Junior) $108,330 $52.08/hr
50th (Median) $127,210 $61.16/hr
75th (Senior) $135,520 $65.15/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $158,040 $75.98/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Physician Assistant in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
1
Junior Physician AssistantARC-PA accredited Master's degree, NCCPA PANCE certification, state licensing
$98,300$47.26/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Staff Physician Assistant (Surgical/Inpatient)First-assist surgical certification, specialty clinical rotations, DEA registration
$117,970$56.72/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Physician Assistant SpecialistAdvanced clinical autonomy, specialized procedural competence, supervision of PA fellows
$136,684$65.71/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Chief Physician Assistant / Clinical DirectorHospital clinical administration, credentialing oversight, departmental leadership
$157,281$75.62/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC medianView National Physician Assistant Salary Data
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

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

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
13% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $965/month Requires minimum annual gross of $38,600
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,147/month Requires minimum annual gross of $45,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.98/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $18.64/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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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$127,210-$31,471$88,106$3,388.71
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$151,062-$39,527$102,471$3,941.21
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$174,914-$47,627$116,792$4,492.00
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$198,766-$54,843$131,997$5,076.80
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$222,618-$61,668$147,593$5,676.64
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

Physician Assistant in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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
$127,210/yr
$61.16/hr · SOC 29-1071
Statutory Tax Drag
24.74% Effective
-$31,471 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
13% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,377/mo
Post-$965/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 29-1071
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

Physician Assistant in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: Market Snapshot

Physician Assistant roles in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC report a median annual wage of $127,210, 6.4% below the national median of $135,880. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $100,870 to $158,040, and HUD’s $965 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 9.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Physician Assistant

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$223,640+75.8%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$198,070+55.7%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$184,380+44.9%
Yuba City, CA$183,460+44.2%
Vallejo, CA$179,520+41.1%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$172,750+35.8%
Napa, CA$172,170+35.3%
Salinas, CA$170,180+33.8%
Urban Honolulu, HI$170,060+33.7%
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA$168,080+32.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$312,730$150.35/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$170,730$82.08/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$163,010$78.37/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$162,690$78.22/hr
Marketing Managers$151,190$72.69/hr
Financial Manager$138,150$66.42/hr
Purchasing Managers$132,570$63.74/hr
Sales Managers$132,060$63.49/hr
Nurse Practitioner$126,620$60.88/hr
Industrial Production Managers$124,290$59.75/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 348 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.

Physician Assistant Salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (2026) Overview

Physician Assistant median pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $127,210 a year ($61.16/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Physician Assistant in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Physician Assistant in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The median annual wage is $127,210 ($61.16 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $100,870 and $158,040. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Physician Assistant in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $127,210, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $93,647 a year ($7,804 a month) after $33,563 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 26.38%, using 2026 tax rules.