Ranking · original analysis of BLS and O*NET data
Highest-paying jobs in North Carolina
The 40 best-paid occupations in North Carolina with at least 100 people employed, by state median wage.
Quick answer
The highest-paying occupation in North Carolina with at least 100 people employed was Surgeons, All Other, with a state median of $398,410 (BLS May 2025).
The ranking
40 occupations
Data Every figure is from BLS OEWS May 2025 or O*NET 31.0; the selection rule is below.
| # | Occupation | Median pay in North Carolina | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgeons, All Other | $398,410 | 480 |
| 2 | Dermatologist | $367,350 | 800 |
| 3 | Emergency Medicine Physician | $339,350 | 710 |
| 4 | Neurologist | $325,550 | 180 |
| 5 | Orthopedic Surgeon | $323,630 | 560 |
| 6 | CEO | $314,290 | 1,930 |
| 7 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $289,780 | 1,700 |
| 8 | Physicians, All Other | $260,330 | 14,080 |
| 9 | Pathologist | $248,940 | 340 |
| 10 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $225,990 | 130 |
| 11 | Orthodontist | $224,990 | 160 |
| 12 | CRNA | $224,610 | 3,340 |
| 13 | Podiatrist | $215,420 | 240 |
| 14 | Family Medicine Physician | $215,230 | 1,520 |
| 15 | Dentist | $207,000 | 4,140 |
| 16 | Pediatrician | $183,550 | 740 |
| 17 | Physicist | $174,180 | 150 |
| 18 | Natural Sciences Managers | $173,870 | 6,010 |
| 19 | IT Manager | $172,860 | 25,650 |
| 20 | Psychiatrist | $168,880 | 620 |
| 21 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,840 | 6,960 |
| 22 | Financial Manager | $166,780 | 22,460 |
| 23 | Marketing Manager | $165,480 | 10,790 |
| 24 | Optometrist | $161,560 | 1,140 |
| 25 | Airline Pilot | $151,540 | 2,240 |
| 26 | Sales Manager | $150,470 | 16,920 |
| 27 | Medical Dosimetrist | $147,830 | 140 |
| 28 | HR Manager | $142,990 | 6,480 |
| 29 | Managers, All Other | $141,160 | 21,830 |
| 30 | Pharmacist | $138,860 | 11,430 |
| 31 | Purchasing Manager | $138,710 | 2,670 |
| 32 | Economist | $136,150 | 290 |
| 33 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $135,240 | 880 |
| 34 | Software Engineer | $134,710 | 58,470 |
| 35 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $134,670 | 1,340 |
| 36 | Database Architect | $134,630 | 4,070 |
| 37 | OB-GYN | $134,540 | 590 |
| 38 | Public Relations Manager | $132,280 | 1,510 |
| 39 | Financial Risk Specialists | $132,040 | 3,200 |
| 40 | Nuclear Engineer | $131,850 | 460 |
Method
How this page is built
BLS OEWS state estimates for North Carolina, May 2025: occupations with at least 100 people employed and a published median, ranked by median annual wage.
What this page can't tell you
Sources- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- Openings in your area: these are national figures.
- Whether a job suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.