Nurse salary in North Carolina

North Carolina is one of the lower paying states for registered nurses. The registered nurse salary in North Carolina is $72,220 per year. This means that nurses in North Carolina earn an average of $34.72 per hour. On the other hand, the national average for registered nurses is $77,600 per year. This annual salary is approximately $37.31 per hour.

(Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Use Salary Explorer to see which cities in North Carolina are paying registered nurses the most.

Average gross weekly nurse pay in the top cities/wider metro area

1. Whiteville - $2,148
2. Spruce Pine - $2,060
3. Brevard - $2,052
4. High Point - $2,028
5. Asheville - $2,021
6. Tarboro - $2,020
7. Durham - $2,016
8. Marion - $1,948
9. Ahoskie - $1,936
10. Greenville - $1,920

(Trusted Health Data) (Data courtesy of Trusted Health, May 2021)

Average annual nurse salary in the following cities/wider metro areas

1. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area: $77,030
2. Fayetteville, NC Metro Area: $77,000
3. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metro Area: $75,510
4. Winston-Salem, NC Metro Area: $75,440
5. Raleigh, NC Metro Area: $75,380
6. Greensboro-High Point, NC Metro Area: $75,000
7. Burlington, NC Metro Area: $70,880
8. Asheville, NC Metro Area: $62,810
9. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Metro Area: $62,710
10. Goldsboro, NC Metro Area: $62,390
11. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC Metro Area: $62,160
12. Jacksonville, NC Metro Area: $61,990
13. Rocky Mount, NC Metro Area: $61,990
14. Wilmington, NC Metro Area: $61,770
15. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metro Area: $61,030
16. New Bern, NC Metro Area: $60,530

(Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Average annual nurse salary for the following nurse specialties

1. Med/Surg Nurse - $92,782 (Range of $83,937 - $103,362)
2. Progressive Care Nurse - $82,718 (Range of $72,813 - $93,772)
3. Operating Room Nurse - $75,238 (Range of $67,506 - $83,174)
4. Emergency Nurse - $73,200 (Range of $65,366 - $81,303)
5. ICU Nurse - $72,709 (Range of $65,511 - $79,015)
6. Labor and Delivery Nurse - $70,700 (Range of $64,300 - $80,000)
7. Pediatric Nurse - $69,100 (Range of $62,700 - $79,200)

(Data courtesy of Salary.com) (Data courtesy of Salary.com, May 2021)

Although nurse salaries in North Carolina may be 7% lower than the national average, living in North Carolina costs about average. North Carolina ranks close to the national cost of living index. While your nursing salary may be lower, the cost of rent alone may make up for it. For more detailed cost of living by city, check out the nurse Salary Explorer.

(Data courtesy of World Population Review)

North Carolina is a popular destination for staff and travel nurses alike. In 2021, North Carolina was home to more than 87,250 nurses.

However, North Carolina has a strong job outlook, as the number of nurses in North Carolina is expected to grow. Registered nurse jobs are forecasted to grow by more than 3.1% between 2021 and 2023, bringing the total number of working nurses in North Carolina to more than 89,940

(Data courtesy of Projections Central)