Registered Nurse Salary in North Carolina
What registered nurses earn across North Carolina, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $84,350
- Median hourly wage
- $40.56
- Top 10% earn
- $110,220
- Kept after costs
- $32,764
Pay range
Half of North Carolina's 111,120 registered nurses earn more than $84,350 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $97,550.
Pay over time
In North Carolina, registered nurse pay rose 43% from 2015 to 2025, or 5% after inflation.
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $58,950 | $80,072 | $67,490 |
| 2016 | $59,590 | $79,933 | $68,450 |
| 2017 | $60,880 | $79,960 | $70,000 |
| 2018 | $62,940 | $80,695 | $71,730 |
| 2019 | $64,600 | $81,349 | $73,300 |
| 2020 | $66,820 | $83,119 | $75,330 |
| 2021 | $72,220 | $85,806 | $77,600 |
| 2022 | $76,430 | $84,079 | $81,220 |
| 2023 | $79,580 | $84,083 | $86,070 |
| 2024 | $81,860 | $84,014 | $93,600 |
| 2025 | $84,350 | $84,350 | $97,550 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a registered nurse keeps in North Carolina
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $84,350
- Federal income tax
- −$9,727
- Payroll taxes
- −$6,453
- State income tax
- −$2,857
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,384
- Everyday costs
- −$17,165
a year, or $2,730 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of registered nurses in North Carolina earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $78,770 | $29,062 |
| Typical (median) | $84,350 | $32,764 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $102,040 | $44,503 |
Compare cities in North Carolina
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a registered nurse keeps in each North Carolina city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | $86,120 | $33,646 |
| Greensboro | $82,860 | $32,086 |
| Charlotte | $90,620 | $30,505 |
| Raleigh | $84,830 | $29,376 |
| Durham* | $84,350 | $29,094 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile. * No metro estimate from BLS for this job, so the statewide figures are used.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $86,120
- Federal income tax
- −$10,116
- Payroll taxes
- −$6,588
- State income tax
- −$2,927
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,684
- Everyday costs
- −$17,159
a year, or $2,804 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Registered nurse pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 44 of 51. The ten states where a registered nurse keeps the most:
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Registered nurse salary by state
Pay and what's kept for registered nurses in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in North Carolina
The 10 jobs closest to a registered nurse in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Mechanical engineer$10,864 more | $43,628 |
| Physical therapist$10,326 more | $43,090 |
| Dental hygienist$8,959 more | $41,723 |
| Occupational therapist$5,700 more | $38,464 |
| Speech-language pathologist$1,401 more | $34,165 |
| Accountant$1,526 less | $31,238 |
| Respiratory therapist$2,827 less | $29,937 |
| Lineman$4,697 less | $28,067 |
| Radiologic technologist$6,569 less | $26,195 |
| Licensed practical nurse$14,311 less | $18,453 |
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Questions people ask
How much does a registered nurse make in North Carolina?
The median registered nurse salary in North Carolina is $84,350 a year ($40.56 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $67,660 and the top 10% earn over $110,220 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a registered nurse take home in North Carolina?
On the median salary, a registered nurse in North Carolina pays about $19,037 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $32,764 a year.
Where in North Carolina do registered nurses keep the most?
Of the North Carolina cities we cover, registered nurses keep the most in Winston-Salem: a median salary of $86,120 and a $1,307 1-bedroom leave $33,646 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for registered nurses after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 44 of 51. The top states are Washington ($55,663), Oregon ($52,929), Alaska ($52,291).
Do registered nurses in North Carolina earn more than the US average?
No. The North Carolina median of $84,350 is $13,200 below the US median of $97,550.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 29-1141. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate