Jobs, pay and daily life in Mount Airy, 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.
Mount Airy is a city in North Carolina with 10,633 residents. The median household earns $40,275 a year and the median rent is $725 a month, which is 21.6% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Winston-Salem, NC (271,980 jobs), about 30 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Mount Airy compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Mount Airy is #95 by population, #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #96 for household income (#1 = highest), #94 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Surry County, is #45 of 100 counties for average pay ($49,330).
Mount Airy has 10,633 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.1% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 908 people per square mile. The median age is 46.0, 18% older than the state median (46.0 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $725 a month (rent plus utilities), 41% below the state median ($725 against $1,228). Over a year that is 21.6% 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 $181,900, which is 4.5 times the median household income ($40,275). 55.4% of households own their home, 17% below the state average (55.4% against 66.6%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Winston-Salem, NC, metropolitan area has 271,980 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,380 a year, 9% below the national median ($46,380 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (29,770 jobs, median $45,440); healthcare practitioners and technical (27,200 jobs, median $79,610); food preparation and serving related (26,240 jobs, median $29,320). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.6 times) and production (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($109,080) and computer and mathematical ($97,060). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Surry County was 2.8%. 51.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Surry County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.8% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.6% walk, 5.1% work from home. 10.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 22% below the state average (10.8% against 13.9%).
23.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35% below the state share (23.1% against 35.6%). 8.9% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (8.9% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 26.9%, 107% above the state rate (26.9% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 34°F (1.1°C). About 1,184 mm (47 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (121 mm) and Jan 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: Lewisville (30 miles, rent 51% higher); Winston-Salem (34 miles, rent 50% higher); Clemmons (35 miles, rent 75% higher); Kernersville (41 miles, rent 49% higher). Rent differences are against Mount Airy; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (495) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideSurry 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 10,180 | 1.72 | $86,120 | $71,550 | $105,490 | -12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,790 | 1.00 | $30,100 | $22,520 | $45,180 | -15% |
| Cashiers | 6,220 | 1.15 | $28,130 | $22,720 | $35,100 | -14% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 6,120 | 5.46 | $27,280 | $22,030 | $34,880 | -12% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,490 | 1.06 | $37,160 | $29,860 | $48,700 | -8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,900 | 0.73 | $28,640 | $21,430 | $36,580 | -8% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,890 | 0.99 | $35,080 | $29,360 | $45,680 | -6% |
| Nursing Assistants | 4,450 | 1.76 | $38,660 | $32,510 | $45,630 | -9% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 3,980 | 2.36 | $46,370 | $36,560 | $54,680 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,940 | 0.99 | $29,550 | $16,770 | $58,510 | -16% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,770 | 0.83 | $38,410 | $29,120 | $58,800 | -14% |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,500 | 0.81 | $39,510 | $26,870 | $59,980 | -12% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,480 | 0.46 | $30,400 | $24,620 | $37,970 | -15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,480 | 0.97 | $51,320 | $38,300 | $75,850 | -12% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 3,440 | 1.40 | $42,590 | $30,150 | $60,230 | -5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,120 | 0.51 | $96,840 | $48,620 | $221,370 | -8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,010 | 0.78 | $34,150 | $25,780 | $38,710 | -7% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,880 | 1.20 | $48,360 | $34,220 | $63,590 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,580 | 1.04 | $34,600 | $27,570 | $43,630 | -7% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,480 | 0.93 | $47,090 | $31,640 | $71,270 | -5% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 700 | 0.60 | $160,900 | $99,340 | $227,130 | -8% |
| Financial Managers | 980 | 0.66 | $155,030 | $94,520 | $301,980 | -7% |
| Pharmacists | 1,010 | 1.79 | $135,710 | $65,100 | $167,280 | -4% |
| Sales Managers | 690 | 0.62 | $132,550 | $65,670 | $251,940 | -11% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 750 | 1.32 | $130,840 | $105,120 | $161,520 | -1% |
| Physician Assistants | 730 | 2.57 | $130,730 | $104,580 | $169,210 | -4% |
| Managers, All Other | 740 | 0.68 | $129,160 | $68,500 | $217,780 | -9% |
| Lawyers | 830 | 0.63 | $126,250 | $45,010 | $317,580 | -21% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 660 | 1.52 | $124,880 | $73,830 | $201,990 | -1% |
| Software Developers | 1,050 | 0.36 | $124,130 | $78,700 | $169,360 | -9% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 920 | 0.88 | $118,440 | $74,610 | $218,700 | -4% |
| Construction Managers | 710 | 1.06 | $103,750 | $65,330 | $181,260 | -10% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 770 | 0.85 | $101,320 | $71,330 | $136,450 | -4% |
| Physical Therapists | 510 | 1.09 | $101,270 | $78,020 | $124,670 | -1% |
| Industrial Engineers | 750 | 1.17 | $97,760 | $68,830 | $133,940 | -5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,120 | 0.51 | $96,840 | $48,620 | $221,370 | -8% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 520 | 0.69 | $94,600 | $42,210 | $149,700 | -19% |
| Registered Nurses | 10,180 | 1.72 | $86,120 | $71,550 | $105,490 | -12% |
| Management Analysts | 640 | 0.41 | $82,050 | $52,860 | $137,390 | -19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 500 | 1.33 | $80,310 | $50,420 | $160,030 | -8% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Winston-Salem, NC, about 30 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,380 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.1% |
| Retail trade | 15.7% |
| Manufacturing | 13.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.0% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.2% |
| Other services | 3.8% |
| Public administration | 3.4% |
| Information | 2.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Mount Airy 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surry County | 71,425 | $3,540 million | $49,563 | 29,147 | 2,028 | $49,330 | +1.3% | 2.8% | 31,907 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 4,130 | 19.9% | $34,206 | 1.42 |
| Manufacturing | 4,015 | 19.4% | $51,998 | 1.68 |
| Construction | 3,256 | 15.7% | $71,490 | 2.13 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,772 | 13.4% | $19,953 | 1.05 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,387 | 6.7% | $56,455 | 1.12 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,120 | 5.4% | $40,099 | 0.65 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,029 | 5.0% | $59,830 | 0.90 |
| Professional and technical services | 905 | 4.4% | $76,540 | 0.45 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 868 | 4.2% | $46,890 | 0.99 |
| Finance and insurance | 396 | 1.9% | $62,651 | 0.33 |
| Management of companies | 336 | 1.6% | $88,515 | 0.68 |
| Real estate and rental | 163 | 0.8% | $42,710 | 0.36 |
| Utilities | 146 | 0.7% | $88,395 | 1.32 |
| Information | 100 | 0.5% | $61,586 | 0.18 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 93 | 0.4% | $25,185 | 0.19 |
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 | 79.8% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.6% |
| Work from home | 5.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 10.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,275 |
| Income per person | $32,776 |
| Median gross rent per month | $725 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.6% |
| Median home value | $181,900 |
| Homeowners | 55.4% |
| Poverty rate | 26.9% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 92.0 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $46,380 |
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 | 46.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 23.1% |
| Born abroad | 8.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 51.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.1 | 34 | 78 |
| Feb | 2.7 | 37 | 78 |
| Mar | 7.2 | 45 | 90 |
| Apr | 12.8 | 55 | 105 |
| May | 17.7 | 64 | 114 |
| Jun | 22.1 | 72 | 110 |
| Jul | 24.2 | 76 | 121 |
| Aug | 23.6 | 74 | 109 |
| Sep | 20.1 | 68 | 106 |
| Oct | 13.7 | 57 | 94 |
| Nov | 7.4 | 45 | 85 |
| Dec | 3.1 | 38 | 94 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewisville | NC | 30 mi | 13,828 | $100,917 | $1,095 |
| Winston-Salem | NC | 34 mi | 252,037 | $59,268 | $1,087 |
| Clemmons | NC | 35 mi | 21,871 | $87,655 | $1,269 |
| Kernersville | NC | 41 mi | 27,830 | $71,918 | $1,082 |
| Radford | VA | 42 mi | 16,726 | $57,348 | $1,033 |
| Martinsville | VA | 43 mi | 13,658 | $46,727 | $808 |
| Christiansburg | VA | 45 mi | 22,720 | $77,147 | $1,181 |
| Summerfield | NC | 45 mi | 11,116 | $160,275 | $1,521 |
| Eden | NC | 49 mi | 15,356 | $47,260 | $799 |
| High Point | NC | 50 mi | 116,245 | $64,561 | $1,116 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
10,633 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$725 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.6% of the median household income.
$40,275 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.8% (BLS county, Surry County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.