Registered Nurse salary in North Carolina: $84,350 median.
How pay for registered nurses in North Carolina compares with the national figure and other states, and where in the state it is highest.
Registered Nurses in North Carolina earned a median of $84,350 a year in May 2025 (BLS), 14% below the national median of $97,550. North Carolina ranked 33 of 51 for this occupation's median pay, with about 111,120 people employed.
- North Carolina median
- $84,350
- $40.56/hr
- U.S. median
- $97,550
- -14% in North Carolina
- Rank among states
- 33 of 51
- by median pay
- Employed
- 111,120
- location quotient 1.03
Where in North Carolina it pays most
Data Metropolitan areas in the state with at least 30 people employed in the occupation.
States with similar pay
Data Ranked by state median, BLS May 2025.
See all states on the national Registered Nurse salary page.
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How this page is built
BLS OEWS state and metropolitan-area estimates for May 2025, for the occupation shown. Ranks compare state medians only.
- Cost of living, which changes what a salary is worth.
- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).