North Carolina Is The Only State Where The Average Recent Graduate’s Salary Is Less Than Living Wage
I could go on an hour-long rant about the cost of living vs. average salaries today. Seriously, it’s a soapbox you may or may not want to get on. I’ll keep it brief here, but the most significant point I’d like to reiterate for those who have been in the workforce for a few years is that if you haven’t gotten a raise in line with inflation, you’ve taken a pay cut. The cost of living is skyrocketing and wages aren’t keeping up. In my opinion, it’s the number one issue our country is facing today. And something I’m EXTREMELY concerned about and passionate about correcting. And especially in NC, one group of people is already being set up to fail- recent college graduates. New research shared with us from VentureSmarter revealed that North Carolina is “the only state that pays graduates, on average, less than the living wage.”
Yes, you read that correctly. The average salary in North Carolina for recent graduates is $33,557. Whereas data shows that the North Carolina living wage in the state is $35,651. So on average, these new workers are earning around $2,000 less than what it costs them just to exist. If that doesn’t anger you, it should. What is a “living wage”? It’s the minimum income an individual needs to earn to meet their basic needs. That’s just keeping a roof over your head and food on the table.
And that $$33,557 salary? It’s 20% lower than the national average. Which does surprise me quite honestly. We have some fantastic universities in the state producing quality job candidates. And with Charlotte being a banking hub, and RDU having numerous tech opportunities, I’d think those industries would boost the average.
But somehow, according to this data, North Carolina is not only not paying recent graduates a living wage. We are the only state that doesn’t. Do better NC, do better. And to any employer who thinks it’s okay to pocket the extra cash while not paying your employees well above a living wage, try to live off what you pay your lowest-paid employee for a month. If you can’t do it, they shouldn’t have to either. Rant over.
Study Did Not Name North Carolina As The Best Place To Live, But Just How Low Did The State Rank? Low.
31. North Carolina
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While it did rank a lot higher than South Carolina, NC is still in the bottom half of the rankings coming in at number 31. With an overall score of 51.08, NC scored lowest in economy, education and health, and safety.
44. South Carolina
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Well, there we have it folks, South Carolina ranked 44th out of 50 states making it one of the worst places to live. At least according to this study. They ranked 49th in Safety bringing the score down significantly. The state’s high score in affordability wasn’t enough to boost the ranking.
1. Massachusetts
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I’ll give WalletHub this, the people I know who are from Massachusetts, especially Boston, love their state. (Though a lot of them ended up in the South so riddle me that.) Massachusetts ranked number one in education and health, and in the top 10 for quality of live and safety. Can you award extra points for the coast? Because that is by far my favorite part of the area.
2. New Jersey
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New Jersey? The second best place to live? I guess I’ll hear them out. Full disclosure if I have been to New Jersey at all which I don’t think I have, it was just to fly into NYC. A number one rank in safety as well as high scores in education and health and quality of live gave the Garden State the number 2 ranking.
3. New Hampshire
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I’ve never been to New Hampshire but I’d love to visit one day. While I don’t think I could handle the winters of the Northeast I do love New England in the summer. New Hampshire ranked 2nd in both economy and health and education.
4. New York
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I’m not surprised to see New York near the top of this list. It’s another state with a lot of pride. And while the lifestyle can vary drastically depending on where you’re located, many people love to call it home. A number 1 ranking in quality of live and number 3 in safety gave NY the 4th spot on this list.
5. Wyoming
I alluded to this earlier, I’m very shocked Wyoming is this high on the list. I guess people love it, but it’s not the lifestyle for me. This high ranking is due to a 4th place rank in Safety and 10th in affordability. I guess I’ll give them both of those things.
