Get to Know Charlotte’s Job Market

Northeastern opened its Charlotte campus in the fall of 2011 to meet the region’s diverse workforce needs. Charlotte, a major city and commercial hub in North Carolina, offers a scenic landscape, numerous employment opportunities, and low cost of living, quickly making Charlotte one of the most livable cities in the country.

Charlotte has a similar job market compared to larger cities. The financial industry is central to the region. Bank of America, BB&T, Wells Fargo, and TIAA are some of the large financial institutions that are located in the area. In addition to finance, many other large corporations have offices in the region, including Duke Energy, Red Ventures, Lowe’s, Toshiba, and Siemens.

Despite North Carolina having the highest mountain peak in the eastern U.S., along with beautiful beaches and forests, Charlotte still manages to be affordable. The cost of living in Charlotte is nine percent lower than the U.S. average. Housing in Charlotte is also 23 percent below the national average—making it one of the most affordable housing markets in the country.

If you’re interested in working in Charlotte, here are some of the city’s most in-demand industries:

Healthcare

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry is rapidly expanding, adding approximately 2.3 million new jobs. In particular, nursing is booming, with over 2.7 million registered nurses in the nation, and job growth expected to increase 16 percent by 2024—more than double the rate for all occupations. The median pay for nurses is $67,490. Within Charlotte, the healthcare industry employs over 100,000 people and includes several of the nation’s largest hospital management companies.

Finance

According to Monster.com, top finance positions include actuaries, economists, sales agents, and financial and management analysts. Job growth is expected to increase by 12 percent over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average senior financial analyst in Charlotte earns an annual salary of $86,200—along with a bonus of $7,350.

Management Consulting

There are currently over 758,000 management consultants employed across the nation—with employment projected to grow 14 percent as demand to improve efficiency and control costs among organizations increases. Management consulting in Charlotte is a particularly lucrative field, with an average salary of $109,400—and an annual bonus of $15,550. According to the Charlotte Agenda, 66 percent of consultants received a five percent raise or higher from 2016-2017.

Energy

Over 3.64 million Americans work in traditional energy industries—including production, transmission, distribution, and storage—and an additional 1.9 million Americans are employed in energy efficiency, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The field is lucrative, with an energy engineer earning a median salary of $83,224, and industry project managers receiving an average salary of $97,459. According to the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the energy sector represents 14.5 percent of the region’s economy and supports 55,644 jobs.

One way to break into these industries is by earning an advanced degree. Visit our Charlotte website to learn how you can thrive in the workplace today.