How many sign shops are in North Carolina, and what do they pay?
Where North Carolina sits in the state ranking
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 2,960 | $67,881 | |
| 9 | Michigan | 2,037 | $62,135 | |
| 10 | North Carolina | 2,207 | $58,521 | |
| 11 | New Jersey | 2,078 | $73,891 | |
| 12 | Tennessee | 2,042 | $59,704 |
Every state's shop count, ranked, is on the home page. The most shops: Texas with 748. U.S. total: 7,672 shops, 76,766 employees, $65,386 average pay.
Sign shops in North Carolina since 2014
North Carolina had 189 sign shops in 2014 and 236 in 2025, 47 more. Average pay moved from $40,696 to $58,521, up 43.8%. Every state's pay, ranked, is on the sign maker salary page.
| Year | Sign shops | Employees | Weekly pay | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 236 | 2,207 | $1,125 | $58,521 |
| 2024 | 258 | 2,202 | $1,077 | $56,026 |
| 2023 | 260 | 2,157 | $991 | $51,516 |
| 2022 | 249 | 2,085 | $958 | $49,833 |
| 2021 | 230 | 2,181 | $934 | $48,570 |
| 2020 | 220 | 2,091 | $922 | $47,941 |
| 2019 | 219 | 2,151 | $868 | $45,161 |
| 2018 | 211 | 2,108 | $875 | $45,486 |
| 2017 | 202 | 2,024 | $837 | $43,549 |
| 2016 | 193 | 1,941 | $819 | $42,586 |
| 2015 | 192 | 1,849 | $822 | $42,770 |
| 2014 | 189 | 1,753 | $783 | $40,696 |
Sign shops by metro area in North Carolina
The largest metro areas touching North Carolina, from the BLS 2024 metro figures, the latest year published for metro areas. A metro area that crosses a state line is counted whole. "Concentration" compares sign shops' share of the area's private employers with their share nationally (1.00× = the national share). 6 smaller metro areas are on the full metro list.
| Metro area | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte areaNorth Carolina, South Carolina | 73 | — | — | 1.18× |
| Raleigh area | 37 | 234 | $53,392 | 1.02× |
| Virginia Beach areaVirginia, North Carolina | 30 | — | — | 1.00× |
| Greensboro area | 22 | 390 | $57,832 | 1.56× |
| Wilmington area | 18 | 80 | $45,252 | 1.62× |
| Winston-Salem area | 16 | — | — | 1.45× |
| Asheville area | 10 | — | — | 0.89× |
| Durham area | 9 | — | — | 0.71× |
| Fayetteville area | 8 | — | — | 1.57× |
| Greenville area | 6 | 24 | $42,326 | 2.12× |
Every metro area, ranked by sign shops.
Putting up a sign in North Carolina
What these shops charge is set by the square foot for most sign types, with materials, finishing and installation on top. For a sense of the going rate, PrinterFlo's sign price calculator prices a sign or banner by size and material in two clicks; the pay figures above are what that revenue supports.
Common questions
How many sign shops are in North Carolina?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 236 sign manufacturing establishments in North Carolina in 2025 (annual average, private employers), ranking North Carolina 10 of 51 states. Together they employed 2,207 people, about 9.4 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in North Carolina?
Average annual pay across North Carolina's sign shops was $58,521 in 2025, 10% below the U.S. sign industry average of $65,386. That is total payroll divided by employment, so it blends fabricators, designers, installers and owners on payroll.
What counts as a sign shop in these figures?
An establishment with payroll classified under NAICS 339950, Sign Manufacturing: businesses whose main activity is making signs, including electric and non-electric signs, channel letters, printed banners and vehicle graphics. Print shops, engravers and installation contractors classified under other codes are not included, and neither are owner-only shops with no employees.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), annual averages, private ownership, NAICS 339950 Sign Manufacturing, North Carolina, 2014 to 2025 annual averages (metro areas 2024), read September 24, 2026. Average pay = total annual wages ÷ annual average employment. Ranks computed from the 51 states with a published establishment count.