North Carolina RN Salary - How Much Do RNs Make in NC?

North Carolina employs 88,350 registered nurses according to May 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The average RN salary in North Carolina was $59,290 at this time. This figure is below the national average of $65,470. The cost of living makes up for some of this difference. On average, it costs about four percent less than the national average to live in this state.

Registered nurses in North Carolina earn a broad range of salaries, depending on a variety of factors. Some of the factors that influence salary include education, experience, and employer. Those with earnings above the 75th percentile in this state made more than $69,430 annually, and those with earnings in above the 90th percentile made more than $76,930. RNs with earnings below the 25th percentile made less than $49,150, and those with earnings below the 10th percentile made less than $42,260. The median salary in North Carolina was $58,490.

The city that employs the highest number of registered nurses is the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill area, which also encompasses part of South Carolina. This metropolitan area employed 18,660 RNs as of May of 2018. The average salary in this area was $59,320 in 2018. This is lower than the national average, but slightly higher than the state average.

The highest average RN salary in North Carolina can be found in the Durham-Chapel Hill area. According to the BLS, this city employed 8,250 registered nurses in 2018. The average RN salary was $65,770, which is just marginally above the national average. RNs in this area earned a broad range of salaries in 2018, with ten percent making under $46,450 and ten percent over $88,590. The cost of living in this area is about two percent below the national average, with an average home price of $182,500. This might be a good area in which to pursue a nursing career.The metropolitan area with the lowest annual salary for this occupation is Jacksonville. In this area, the average annual salary was $51,390 in 2018. This area employed only 730 RNs at the time. The cost of living in Jacksonville is about eight percent below the national average. RN salaries might also be lower in nonmetropolitan areas where the cost of living is also lower.

Resources

• https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series
• https://www.forbes.com/places/nc/durham/
• https://www.forbes.com/places/nc/jacksonville/