SOC 53-3099 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other Salary in Hickory, NC

The average salary for other motor vehicle operators in Hickory, North Carolina is $26,270 a year ($12.63 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,850: half of the 40 people in this job in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 38% less than the U.S. average for this job ($42,430).

$26,270average per year

$12.63 / hourMedian $28,850Take-home ≈ $22,704

  • $15K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $29K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
-38%vs U.S. average
#8 of 10North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other pay range in Hickory

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,350 a year or less, while the top 10% make $29,120 or more. The middle half of other motor vehicle operators in Hickory earn between $21,960 and $29,020.

  • $15K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $29K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,270$2,189$12.63
Median$28,850$2,404$13.87
Entry level (25th percentile)$21,960$1,830$10.56
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,020$2,418$13.95

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other pay in Hickory vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Other motor vehicle operators in Hickory earn 12% less than the North Carolina average ($29,940) and 38% less than the U.S. average ($42,430). At the median the gap is -22% against the U.S. median of $37,180.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Hickory$26,270$28,850$15,350$29,12040
North Carolina$29,940$29,000$15,880$45,4702,000
United States$42,430$37,180$26,540$66,50046,880

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other salary after taxes in Hickory

On the average salary of $26,270, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $22,704 a year, or $1,892 a month and $873 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Hickory a good place for other motor vehicle operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $26,270 buys what about $29,688 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 10.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,270 is worth in another city

Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other salary in other North Carolina cities

Hickory ranks 8th of 10 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Jacksonville pays the most ($55,450).

All Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for other motor vehicle operators

Atlantic City, NJ pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($69,100).

Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other in Hickory, NC.

Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other salary in Hickory: questions

How much do other motor vehicle operators make an hour in Hickory?

$12.63 an hour on average, and $13.87 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level other motor vehicle operators salary in Hickory?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,350 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,960, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the other motor vehicle operators take-home pay in Hickory?

About $22,704 a year ($1,892 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,270.

Do other motor vehicle operators earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?

The average here is 38% less than the U.S. average for this job ($42,430).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-3099; area Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.91, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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