Registered Nurses Salary in North Carolina

Median annual wage in North Carolina: $84,350 -13.5% vs national

North Carolina vs United States

North CarolinaUnited States
Median annual$84,350$97,550
Median hourly$40.56$46.90
Employment111,1203,379,720
Location quotient1.031.00

Data source: BLS OES state file (North Carolina) · U.S. BLS OES, May 2024 (updated April 2025)

A closer look

For career planning: entry-level pay (10th percentile) is about $67,660, median pay is $84,350, and experienced pay (90th percentile) reaches $110,220.

At $40.56 per hour, a full-time schedule (2,080 hours per year) works out to roughly $84,365 — in line with the reported median annual wage of $84,350.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average registered nurses salary in North Carolina?

The median annual wage in North Carolina is $84,350 ($40.56 per hour), per BLS OES May 2024 data.

How does North Carolina compare to the national average for registered nurses?

The North Carolina median of $84,350 is 13.5% lower than the U.S. median of $97,550.

How many registered nurses work in North Carolina?

Approximately 111,120 are employed in North Carolina, per BLS OES.