Jobs, pay and daily life in Harrisburg, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Harrisburg is a city in North Carolina with 19,633 residents. The median household earns $148,254 a year and the median rent is $2,640 a month, which is 21.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,358,370 jobs.
How Harrisburg compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Harrisburg is #51 by population, #100 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #5 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #6 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Cabarrus County, is #16 of 100 counties for average pay ($56,529).
Harrisburg has 19,633 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 13 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,562 people per square mile. The median age is 40.1, about the same as the state median (40.1 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $2,640 a month (rent plus utilities), 115% above the state median ($2,640 against $1,228). Over a year that is 21.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $478,000, which is 3.2 times the median household income ($148,254); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 91.5% of households own their home, 37% above the state average (91.5% against 66.6%).
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area has 1,358,370 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,990 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,990 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (146,340 jobs, median $47,210); transportation and material moving (142,580 jobs, median $40,550); sales and related (139,760 jobs, median $40,880). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (1.4 times) and business and financial operations (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($133,220) and computer and mathematical ($120,930). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Cabarrus County was 3.0%. 69.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Cabarrus County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 64.1% drive alone, 2.9% use public transit, 0.6% walk, 26.3% work from home. 15.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 14% above the state average (15.9% against 13.9%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
56.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58% above the state share (56.5% against 35.6%). 16.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 81% above the state share (16.4% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 3.8%, 71% below the state rate (3.8% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 38°F (3.6°C). About 1,174 mm (46 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (116 mm) and Feb the driest (78 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Concord (6 miles, rent 45% lower); Mint Hill (9 miles, rent 42% lower); Kannapolis (12 miles, rent 50% lower); Charlotte (12 miles, rent 39% lower). Rent differences are against Harrisburg; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (495) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideCabarrus CountyNorth Carolina rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 495 federal postings open in North Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in North Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 40,540 | 1.57 | $38,850 | $32,770 | $49,020 | -3% |
| Retail Salespersons | 35,150 | 1.03 | $33,580 | $24,080 | $46,730 | -5% |
| Cashiers | 27,350 | 1.01 | $29,610 | $23,600 | $36,040 | -10% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 27,050 | 0.80 | $28,880 | $22,850 | $37,010 | -7% |
| Registered Nurses | 27,010 | 0.91 | $90,620 | $69,680 | $110,020 | -7% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 26,120 | 1.15 | $44,980 | $31,500 | $62,640 | +0% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 23,250 | 0.94 | $37,440 | $30,090 | $47,490 | +0% |
| Software Developers | 20,820 | 1.41 | $135,920 | $93,690 | $172,360 | -0% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 19,990 | 1.01 | $36,430 | $18,100 | $74,440 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,700 | 1.04 | $56,120 | $44,240 | $77,490 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 18,380 | 0.60 | $112,730 | $55,750 | $274,620 | +7% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 16,820 | 1.33 | $92,910 | $59,200 | $167,330 | +11% |
| Office Clerks, General | 16,390 | 0.76 | $44,010 | $28,410 | $62,990 | -2% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 15,910 | 1.47 | $72,500 | $40,000 | $149,460 | +1% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 15,830 | 2.83 | $27,690 | $22,430 | $35,720 | -10% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 14,430 | 1.17 | $37,030 | $29,210 | $45,980 | -1% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 13,980 | 1.27 | $61,850 | $37,590 | $143,990 | -12% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 13,760 | 0.71 | $35,600 | $27,630 | $43,680 | -3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 13,580 | 1.07 | $39,430 | $33,730 | $49,050 | -7% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 13,520 | 0.36 | $33,680 | $26,920 | $41,560 | -6% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 740 | 0.41 | $329,030 | $114,100 | $599,990 | +54% |
| Physicians, All Other | 2,400 | 0.80 | $327,040 | $74,580 | $452,850 | +23% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 910 | 2.00 | $277,550 | $222,510 | $334,180 | +17% |
| Dentists, General | 1,140 | 1.05 | $189,220 | $103,490 | $312,000 | +11% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 8,120 | 1.39 | $176,840 | $119,750 | $305,560 | +1% |
| Financial Managers | 9,290 | 1.26 | $172,760 | $111,000 | $329,110 | +4% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,830 | 0.95 | $169,960 | $125,020 | $256,460 | -1% |
| Marketing Managers | 3,830 | 1.11 | $166,200 | $94,240 | $268,360 | -0% |
| Sales Managers | 5,930 | 1.06 | $162,000 | $76,540 | $311,420 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,310 | 1.20 | $158,930 | $99,310 | $292,290 | +6% |
| Lawyers | 5,380 | 0.82 | $157,180 | $61,830 | $371,170 | -2% |
| Managers, All Other | 6,640 | 1.22 | $156,020 | $84,080 | $272,240 | +10% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 2,090 | 2.31 | $151,540 | $97,700 | $206,700 | -35% |
| Pharmacists | 2,530 | 0.90 | $150,580 | $91,770 | $173,930 | +7% |
| Purchasing Managers | 870 | 1.18 | $144,270 | $98,160 | $228,510 | -3% |
| Database Architects | 1,560 | 2.66 | $138,870 | $88,510 | $180,650 | -0% |
| Software Developers | 20,820 | 1.41 | $135,920 | $93,690 | $172,360 | -0% |
| Computer Network Architects | 2,350 | 1.50 | $134,410 | $95,280 | $173,800 | +0% |
| Financial Risk Specialists | 1,880 | 3.37 | $133,530 | $82,840 | $214,540 | +14% |
| Physician Assistants | 1,680 | 1.19 | $133,140 | $99,610 | $169,220 | -2% |
These figures are for the whole Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,990 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 19.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 17.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.0% |
| Retail trade | 8.6% |
| Manufacturing | 8.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.0% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.3% |
| Public administration | 2.9% |
| Construction | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Harrisburg lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabarrus County | 236,133 | $12,962 million | $54,894 | 87,725 | 6,614 | $56,529 | +3.2% | 3.0% | 124,308 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 12,858 | 17.8% | $35,650 | 1.47 |
| Accommodation and food services | 11,275 | 15.7% | $23,022 | 1.41 |
| Wholesale trade | 6,190 | 8.6% | $80,806 | 1.79 |
| Health care and social assistance | 6,125 | 8.5% | $59,167 | 0.49 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6,089 | 8.5% | $41,298 | 1.64 |
| Manufacturing | 5,560 | 7.7% | $65,228 | 0.77 |
| Construction | 5,348 | 7.4% | $70,549 | 1.16 |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,160 | 5.8% | $48,935 | 0.81 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,331 | 4.6% | $85,706 | 2.26 |
| Professional and technical services | 3,281 | 4.6% | $82,340 | 0.54 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,280 | 3.2% | $43,785 | 0.86 |
| Educational services | 1,208 | 1.7% | $46,509 | 0.67 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,146 | 1.6% | $54,961 | 0.84 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,123 | 1.6% | $78,781 | 0.32 |
| Management of companies | 973 | 1.4% | $75,483 | 0.66 |
| Information | 770 | 1.1% | $98,193 | 0.47 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 113 | 0.2% | $35,978 | 0.16 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 111 | 0.2% | $62,368 | 0.33 |
| Utilities | 94 | 0.1% | $114,074 | 0.28 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 64.1% |
| Public transit | 2.9% |
| Walk | 0.6% |
| Work from home | 26.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 15.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $148,254 |
| Income per person | $54,237 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,640 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.4% |
| Median home value | $478,000 |
| Homeowners | 91.5% |
| Poverty rate | 3.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 97.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,990 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.99%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 56.5% |
| Born abroad | 16.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 69.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.6 | 38 | 79 |
| Feb | 5.5 | 42 | 78 |
| Mar | 9.8 | 50 | 93 |
| Apr | 15.2 | 59 | 95 |
| May | 20.1 | 68 | 106 |
| Jun | 24.8 | 77 | 109 |
| Jul | 26.6 | 80 | 116 |
| Aug | 26.0 | 79 | 115 |
| Sep | 22.4 | 72 | 103 |
| Oct | 16.0 | 61 | 87 |
| Nov | 9.6 | 49 | 89 |
| Dec | 5.6 | 42 | 104 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | NC | 6 mi | 108,719 | $86,921 | $1,451 |
| Mint Hill | NC | 9 mi | 27,556 | $100,860 | $1,528 |
| Kannapolis | NC | 12 mi | 57,890 | $73,836 | $1,319 |
| Charlotte | NC | 12 mi | 903,844 | $82,068 | $1,612 |
| Matthews | NC | 13 mi | 30,577 | $108,611 | $1,764 |
| Stallings | NC | 14 mi | 16,886 | $115,974 | $1,882 |
| Huntersville | NC | 14 mi | 63,969 | $120,516 | $1,834 |
| Davidson | NC | 15 mi | 15,660 | $166,556 | $1,652 |
| Indian Trail | NC | 17 mi | 42,036 | $108,483 | $2,077 |
| Cornelius | NC | 18 mi | 32,783 | $113,767 | $1,722 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
19,633 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,640 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.4% of the median household income.
$148,254 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.0% (BLS county, Cabarrus County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.