See what Mecklenburg leaders and other employees make in our salary database
Mecklenburg County employs about 5,600 full-time people to keep the county running. The top paid positions are in the county manager, county attorney, medical examiner and public health departments.
The highest-paying job is the county manager position, which brings in $420,000 a year. Michael Bryant, the manager, oversees a $2.5 billion annual budget and started working for the county in 2003. He became county manager in 2025, after a unanimous commissioner vote.
Bryant makes about 3.7 times the median pay in the county manager department.
Most department directors make at least double the median pay for their departments, but the biggest disparity is in the Department of Community Resources, which handles child support, food stamps and other social services.
The director makes about $259,000 a year: about 4.6 times the median pay, which is about $57,000. Most employees who make below the median are eligibility specialists who determine whether people qualify for public assistance programs.
The Medical Examiner’s office has a similar gap, with the chief forensic pathologist making about $334,000 and the median worker making about $74,000.
The Charlotte Observer routinely publishes public employee databases for local governments and educational systems. Check out Mecklenburg County’s payroll, and reach out to us at cmcglade@charlotteobserver.com if you see something that warrants attention.
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 5:08 AM.
