SOC 13-1082

Project Management Specialist Salary in Raleigh-Cary, 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: 136.24 (+36.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 71.0% Realized
$72,670 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $102,280 $49.17/hr
Effective Tax Drag 22.95% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$23,473 $902.82/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 $49.17 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,137/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,350/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$12,322
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,341
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,483
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,327
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$72,670 ($2,795.00 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Raleigh-Cary, NC Project Management Specialist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $102,280
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $65.4k 25th $79.0k Median: $102,280 50th (Median) $102k 75th $135k 90th $167k You: $102,280
10th (Entry) $65,380 $31.43/hr
25th (Junior) $79,030 $38.00/hr
50th (Median) $102,280 $49.17/hr
75th (Senior) $134,700 $64.76/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $166,970 $80.27/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Project Management Specialist in Raleigh-Cary, NC
1
Associate Project CoordinatorProject scheduling, CAPM cert, task tracking (Jira/Asana), meeting minutes
$59,977$28.84/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Project Management SpecialistPMP certification, budget management, scope governance, risk registers
$95,962$46.14/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Project / Program ManagerMulti-million dollar portfolio management, cross-functional stakeholder alignment
$131,948$63.44/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Director of Program ManagementEnterprise PMO governance, strategic initiative execution
$169,934$81.70/hr · 8+ Years
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

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

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
26% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,552/month Requires minimum annual gross of $62,080
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,689/month Requires minimum annual gross of $67,560
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $30.13/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $24.42/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 Raleigh-Cary, 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$102,280-$23,473$72,670$2,795.00
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$121,458-$29,626$84,544$3,251.71
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$140,635-$35,986$96,211$3,700.43
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$159,813-$42,499$107,725$4,143.28
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$178,990-$49,011$119,239$4,586.12
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

Project Management Specialist in Raleigh-Cary, 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
$102,280/yr
$49.17/hr · SOC 13-1082
Statutory Tax Drag
22.95% Effective
-$23,473 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
26% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,504/mo
Post-$1,552/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 13-1082
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

Project Management Specialist in Raleigh-Cary, NC: Market Snapshot

Project Management Specialist roles in Raleigh-Cary, NC report a median annual wage of $102,280, 0.0% below the national median of $102,320. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $65,380 to $166,970, and HUD’s $1,552 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $30.13 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Project Management Specialist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Dothan, AL$135,260+32.2%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$135,120+32.1%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$135,040+32.0%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$130,380+27.5%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$127,030+24.2%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$126,660+23.8%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$125,940+23.1%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$124,350+21.6%
Peoria, IL$123,730+21.0%
Boulder, CO$122,040+19.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Raleigh-Cary, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$286,050$137.52/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$173,960$83.63/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$173,510$83.42/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$169,780$81.62/hr
Marketing Managers$167,640$80.60/hr
Sales Managers$163,520$78.62/hr
Financial Manager$163,130$78.43/hr
Human Resources Managers$144,190$69.32/hr
Cybersecurity Analyst$143,640$69.06/hr
Actuary$142,180$68.36/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 389 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.

Project Management Specialist Salary in Raleigh-Cary, NC (2026) Overview

Project Management Specialist median pay in Raleigh-Cary, NC is $102,280 a year ($49.17/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Project Management Specialist in Raleigh-Cary, 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 Project Management Specialist in Raleigh-Cary, NC?

The median annual wage is $102,280 ($49.17 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $65,380 and $166,970. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Project Management Specialist in Raleigh-Cary, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $102,280, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $77,212 a year ($6,434 a month) after $25,068 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 24.51%, using 2026 tax rules.