SOC 11-2022 · Raleigh-Cary, NC · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$163,530
$78.62/hr
10.3% higher than the US national median ($148,262)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Sales Managers salary in Raleigh-Cary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS September 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q3 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$76K
P25$109K
P50$164K
P75$218K
P90$303K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.5% (JOLTS, September 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q3 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $163,530 to $217,734 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Sales Managers pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 7.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
the broader market is running a 4.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.1% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 4.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Nov 3, 2026JOLTS September 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.5M (4.5% rate); hires 5.4M, separations 5.3M, and quits rose 321K to 3.4M (2.1% rate). August openings revised up 111K to 7.2M.
Oct 30, 2026ECI Q3 2026: civilian wages rose 3.1% over the year (3.2% in Q2) while CPI-U reached 3.7%, so real wages fell 0.6% (BLS constant-dollar series). Benefits rose 3.9%.
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.1M (4.3% rate); hires 5.2M, separations 5.1M, quits steady at 1.9%. July openings revised up 64K to 7.3M.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS September 2026, ECI Q3 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Sales Managers in Raleigh-Cary is $163,530 per year ($78.62/hr). This is 10.3% higher than the national median of $148,262.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.
Wage Percentiles: Raleigh-Cary
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$36.35
$75,608
+3.3%
P25
$52.29
$108,763
+8.4%
P50MEDIAN
$78.62
$163,530
+10.3%
P75
$104.68
$217,734
+5.0%
P90Top earners
$145.70
$303,056
+4.3%
How Raleigh-Cary compares for Sales Managers
Computed from this metro's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Sales Managers in Raleigh-Cary sits above the national range at every level: +3.3% at entry, +10.3% at the median and +4.3% at the top.
An offer at the national median of $148,262 would sit at about the 43rd percentile in Raleigh-Cary.
The top of the range earns 4.01 times the bottom here, close to the 3.97 times seen nationally.
Raleigh-Cary employs 3,280 people in this role, 0.5% of the national total.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median sales managers salary in Raleigh-Cary?
The median (P50) annual salary for Sales Managers in Raleigh-Cary is approximately $163,530, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 10.3% higher than the national median of $148,262. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
