Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Lighting Technicians actually take home in North Carolina?
4.5% flat rate — 20.1% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Lighting Technicians earning $49,410 in North Carolina (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $49,410 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$3,945 | 8.0% |
| North Carolina State Income Tax | -$2,223 | 4.5% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$3,063 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$716 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$9,948 | 20.1% |
| Take-Home Pay | $39,461 | 79.9% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Lighting Technicians in North Carolina.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $40,080 | -$7,695 | $32,384 | 19.2% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $49,410 | -$9,948 | $39,461 | 20.1% |
| Median (P50) | $49,410 | -$9,948 | $39,461 | 20.1% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $62,400 | -$13,150 | $49,249 | 21.1% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $63,360 | -$13,478 | $49,881 | 21.3% |
After federal income tax ($3,945), state tax ($2,223), and FICA ($3,779), a Lighting Technicians in North Carolina takes home $39,461 per year — or $3,288 per month. The effective tax rate of 20.1% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 20.1%, a Lighting Technicians in North Carolina keeps $39,461 of $49,410 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
North Carolina applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Lighting Technicians salary that contributes $2,223 to the 4.5% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Lighting Technicians salary is $3,945 (40%), but combined state ($2,223, 22%) + FICA ($3,780, 38%) make up the other 60% of the bill.
A Lighting Technicians earning this gross in a no-income-tax state (e.g., Texas, Florida) would take home approximately $41,685 — only $2,223 (5.6%) more than in North Carolina.
North Carolina sits near the bottom (#22 of 27) for Lighting Technicians after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $39,461 net/year works out to $3,288/month or $1,518/bi-weekly for this Lighting Technicians in North Carolina — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Lighting Technicians keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
North Carolina ranks #22 out of 27 states for Lighting Technicians after-tax take-home pay.
A Lighting Technicians in North Carolina earning a median salary of $49,410 will take home approximately $39,461 per year after federal income tax ($3,945), state income tax ($2,223), and FICA ($3,779). That is $3,288 per month or $1,517 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Lighting Technicians in North Carolina is 20.1%, broken down as: federal income tax 8.0%, North Carolina state tax 4.5%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
North Carolina has a 4.5% flat rate. On a Lighting Technicians's median salary of $49,410, the state income tax amounts to $2,223 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.5%.
After all taxes, a Lighting Technicians in North Carolina takes home approximately $3,288 per month, or about $18.97 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $49,410 for Lighting Technicians in North Carolina, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), North Carolina state income tax (4.5% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $39,461/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR