Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Physician Assistants actually take home in North Carolina?
4.5% flat rate — 28.1% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Physician Assistants earning $129,360 in North Carolina (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $129,360 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$20,584 | 15.9% |
| North Carolina State Income Tax | -$5,821 | 4.5% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$8,020 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,875 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$36,302 | 28.1% |
| Take-Home Pay | $93,057 | 71.9% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Physician Assistants in North Carolina.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $101,100 | -$26,366 | $74,733 | 26.1% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $110,320 | -$29,515 | $80,804 | 26.8% |
| Median (P50) | $129,360 | -$36,302 | $93,057 | 28.1% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $140,030 | -$40,159 | $99,870 | 28.7% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $164,770 | -$49,102 | $115,667 | 29.8% |
After federal income tax ($20,584), state tax ($5,821), and FICA ($9,896), a Physician Assistants in North Carolina takes home $93,057 per year — or $7,754 per month. The effective tax rate of 28.1% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Physician Assistants in North Carolina loses 28.1% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $129,360 gross, $93,058 lands in the paycheck after federal ($20,585), state ($5,821), and FICA ($9,896) withholding.
North Carolina applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Physician Assistants salary that contributes $5,821 to the 4.5% effective state-tax burden.
Federal income tax ($20,585) accounts for 57% of the total tax bill — the single largest deduction. FICA adds $9,896 (27%), and state tax the remaining $5,821 (16%).
Moving this same Physician Assistants salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $98,879 net — a gain of $5,821 (6.3%) per year versus North Carolina.
North Carolina sits near the bottom (#40 of 51) for Physician Assistants after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $93,058 net/year works out to $7,755/month or $3,579/bi-weekly for this Physician Assistants in North Carolina — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Physician Assistants keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
North Carolina ranks #40 out of 51 states for Physician Assistants after-tax take-home pay.
A Physician Assistants in North Carolina earning a median salary of $129,360 will take home approximately $93,057 per year after federal income tax ($20,584), state income tax ($5,821), and FICA ($9,896). That is $7,754 per month or $3,579 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Physician Assistants in North Carolina is 28.1%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.9%, 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 Physician Assistants's median salary of $129,360, the state income tax amounts to $5,821 per year, which is an effective state rate of 4.5%.
After all taxes, a Physician Assistants in North Carolina takes home approximately $7,754 per month, or about $44.74 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 $129,360 for Physician Assistants 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 — $93,057/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