Jobs, pay and daily life in Jacksonville, 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.
Jacksonville is a city in North Carolina with 71,279 residents. The median household earns $57,697 a year and the median rent is $1,321 a month, which is 27.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Jacksonville, NC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 52,570 jobs.
How Jacksonville compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Jacksonville is #14 by population, #3 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #96 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #71 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Onslow County, is #74 of 100 counties for average pay ($46,885).
Jacksonville has 71,279 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.7% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 49 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,461 people per square mile. The median age is 23.4, 40% younger than the state median (23.4 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $1,321 a month (rent plus utilities), 8% above the state median ($1,321 against $1,228). Over a year that is 27.5% 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 $210,100, which is 3.6 times the median household income ($57,697); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 38.7% of households own their home, 42% below the state average (38.7% against 66.6%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Jacksonville, NC metropolitan area has 52,570 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $40,230 a year, 21% below the national median ($40,230 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (8,070 jobs, median $27,390); office and administrative support (5,930 jobs, median $39,850); sales and related (5,840 jobs, median $30,600). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.7 times) and sales and related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($39,850) and sales and related ($30,600). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Onslow County was 3.4%. 33.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Onslow County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 54.3% drive alone, 0.3% use public transit, 13.6% walk, 12.8% work from home. 4.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 67% below the state average (4.6% against 13.9%).
26.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26% below the state share (26.3% against 35.6%). 6.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 27% below the state share (6.6% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 12.7%, about the same as the state rate (12.7% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 81°F (27.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 48°F (8.8°C). About 1,444 mm (57 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (185 mm) and Jan the driest (76 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: Piney Green (6 miles, rent 9% lower); Havelock (31 miles, rent 3% lower); New Bern (31 miles, rent 18% lower); Morehead City (37 miles, rent 14% lower). Rent differences are against Jacksonville; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (495) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideOnslow 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,040 | 1.55 | $29,480 | $21,440 | $42,220 | -17% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,900 | 1.46 | $27,330 | $21,100 | $36,940 | -12% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,830 | 8.45 | $22,900 | $21,310 | $29,110 | -26% |
| Cashiers | 1,630 | 1.56 | $26,380 | $21,490 | $33,350 | -20% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,330 | 1.39 | $33,880 | $29,260 | $44,950 | -9% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,140 | 1.49 | $28,870 | $15,480 | $57,360 | -18% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,130 | 1.29 | $33,980 | $27,930 | $46,330 | -24% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,000 | 2.13 | $48,370 | $43,830 | $57,770 | -24% |
| Registered Nurses | 870 | 0.76 | $84,750 | $66,760 | $122,430 | -13% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 790 | 1.05 | $33,320 | $25,730 | $37,940 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 780 | 1.88 | $37,580 | $27,390 | $58,410 | -15% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 730 | 1.54 | $29,580 | $23,930 | $37,450 | -21% |
| Office Clerks, General | 720 | 0.86 | $38,730 | $25,400 | $56,660 | -14% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 700 | 1.90 | $81,330 | $50,840 | $119,430 | -2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 680 | 1.41 | $29,110 | $23,930 | $34,890 | -21% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 630 | 0.64 | $34,620 | $27,280 | $43,660 | -14% |
| General and Operations Managers | 580 | 0.49 | $91,100 | $40,600 | $185,540 | -14% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 550 | 1.44 | $46,400 | $30,730 | $75,130 | -4% |
| Nursing Assistants | 530 | 1.08 | $35,880 | $30,130 | $42,070 | -15% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 530 | 1.63 | $38,580 | $30,610 | $49,020 | -16% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 580 | 0.49 | $91,100 | $40,600 | $185,540 | -14% |
| Registered Nurses | 870 | 0.76 | $84,750 | $66,760 | $122,430 | -13% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 700 | 1.90 | $81,330 | $50,840 | $119,430 | -2% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,000 | 2.13 | $48,370 | $43,830 | $57,770 | -24% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 550 | 1.44 | $46,400 | $30,730 | $75,130 | -4% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 500 | 1.07 | $42,910 | $30,940 | $60,510 | -15% |
| Office Clerks, General | 720 | 0.86 | $38,730 | $25,400 | $56,660 | -14% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 530 | 1.63 | $38,580 | $30,610 | $49,020 | -16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 780 | 1.88 | $37,580 | $27,390 | $58,410 | -15% |
| Nursing Assistants | 530 | 1.08 | $35,880 | $30,130 | $42,070 | -15% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 630 | 0.64 | $34,620 | $27,280 | $43,660 | -14% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,130 | 1.29 | $33,980 | $27,930 | $46,330 | -24% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,330 | 1.39 | $33,880 | $29,260 | $44,950 | -9% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 790 | 1.05 | $33,320 | $25,730 | $37,940 | -10% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 500 | 0.34 | $31,400 | $22,500 | $39,220 | -12% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 730 | 1.54 | $29,580 | $23,930 | $37,450 | -21% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,040 | 1.55 | $29,480 | $21,440 | $42,220 | -17% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 680 | 1.41 | $29,110 | $23,930 | $34,890 | -21% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,140 | 1.49 | $28,870 | $15,480 | $57,360 | -18% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,900 | 1.46 | $27,330 | $21,100 | $36,940 | -12% |
These figures are for the whole Jacksonville, NC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $40,230 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.5% |
| Retail trade | 15.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 15.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.8% |
| Public administration | 7.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.0% |
| Construction | 5.9% |
| Manufacturing | 4.7% |
| Other services | 4.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.4% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Jacksonville 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County | 207,906 | $12,502 million | $60,132 | 54,121 | 4,377 | $46,885 | +1.3% | 3.4% | 71,803 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 9,105 | 23.7% | $22,011 | 1.85 |
| Retail trade | 8,264 | 21.5% | $35,373 | 1.53 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,961 | 12.9% | $49,391 | 0.64 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,667 | 9.6% | $45,057 | 1.15 |
| Construction | 3,052 | 8.0% | $61,803 | 1.07 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,774 | 7.2% | $63,968 | 0.74 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,405 | 3.7% | $38,442 | 0.86 |
| Finance and insurance | 956 | 2.5% | $74,061 | 0.44 |
| Manufacturing | 939 | 2.4% | $50,333 | 0.21 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 905 | 2.4% | $62,785 | 0.39 |
| Real estate and rental | 763 | 2.0% | $47,506 | 0.91 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 546 | 1.4% | $21,048 | 0.60 |
| Educational services | 507 | 1.3% | $45,368 | 0.45 |
| Management of companies | 286 | 0.7% | $64,739 | 0.31 |
| Information | 255 | 0.7% | $65,224 | 0.25 |
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 | 54.3% |
| Public transit | 0.3% |
| Walk | 13.6% |
| Work from home | 12.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,697 |
| Income per person | $30,271 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,321 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 27.5% |
| Median home value | $210,100 |
| Homeowners | 38.7% |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 92.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $40,230 |
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 | 23.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 26.3% |
| Born abroad | 6.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 33.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.8 | 48 | 76 |
| Feb | 10.0 | 50 | 92 |
| Mar | 13.0 | 55 | 95 |
| Apr | 17.4 | 63 | 89 |
| May | 21.7 | 71 | 115 |
| Jun | 25.7 | 78 | 135 |
| Jul | 27.2 | 81 | 156 |
| Aug | 26.9 | 80 | 184 |
| Sep | 24.6 | 76 | 185 |
| Oct | 19.9 | 68 | 115 |
| Nov | 14.7 | 58 | 98 |
| Dec | 11.2 | 52 | 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piney Green | NC | 6 mi | 14,078 | $72,177 | $1,202 |
| Havelock | NC | 31 mi | 17,691 | $58,408 | $1,280 |
| New Bern | NC | 31 mi | 32,734 | $61,031 | $1,081 |
| Morehead City | NC | 37 mi | 9,806 | $56,233 | $1,134 |
| Kinston | NC | 39 mi | 19,505 | $36,878 | $867 |
| Murraysville | NC | 40 mi | 16,339 | $81,167 | $1,777 |
| Wilmington | NC | 46 mi | 120,805 | $66,738 | $1,395 |
| Myrtle Grove | NC | 50 mi | 12,637 | $113,463 | $1,463 |
| Leland | NC | 51 mi | 29,607 | $91,977 | $1,735 |
| Winterville | NC | 55 mi | 10,725 | $83,193 | $1,534 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
71,279 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,321 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 27.5% of the median household income.
$57,697 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Onslow County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.