Highest-paying jobs in North Carolina
The highest published median in North Carolina is for surgeons, all other, at $398,410 a year. For one more occupation, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $47,970, against $50,980 nationally.
North Carolina · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $47,970
- Mean / yr
- $64,290
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 94.3
- Median, price-adjusted
- $50,856
- Adjusted rank
- 40 of 51
- Jobs
- 4,941,820
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in North Carolina
NC · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 744
| No. | Occupation | Median in NC | U.S. median | Employed in NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgeons, All Other | $398,410 | $414,010 | 480 |
| 2 | Dermatologists | $367,350 | $328,730 | 800 |
| 3 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $339,350 | $335,550 | 710 |
| 4 | Neurologists | $325,550 | $248,560 | 180 |
| 5 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $323,630 | $358,550 | 560 |
| 6 | Chief Executives | $314,290 | $213,990 | 1,930 |
| 7 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $289,780 | $256,560 | 1,700 |
| 8 | Physicians, All Other | $260,330 | $265,930 | 14,080 |
| 9 | Physicians, Pathologists | $248,940 | $312,400 | 340 |
| 10 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $225,990 | $224,990 | 130 |
| 11 | Orthodontists | $224,990 | $289,140 | 160 |
| 12 | Nurse Anesthetists | $224,610 | $236,590 | 3,340 |
| 13 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $224,040 | $352,220 | — |
| 14 | Podiatrists | $215,420 | $160,300 | 240 |
| 15 | Family Medicine Physicians | $215,230 | $244,180 | 1,520 |
| 16 | Dentists, General | $207,000 | $170,950 | 4,140 |
| 17 | Pediatricians, General | $183,550 | $210,040 | 740 |
| 18 | Physicists | $174,180 | $172,250 | 150 |
| 19 | Natural Sciences Managers | $173,870 | $167,220 | 6,010 |
| 20 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $172,860 | $175,140 | 25,650 |
| 21 | Psychiatrists | $168,880 | $281,870 | 620 |
| 22 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,840 | $171,270 | 6,960 |
| 23 | Financial Managers | $166,780 | $166,570 | 22,460 |
| 24 | Marketing Managers | $165,480 | $166,790 | 10,790 |
| 25 | Optometrists | $161,560 | $136,570 | 1,140 |
| 26 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $151,540 | $232,140 | 2,240 |
| 27 | Sales Managers | $150,470 | $148,270 | 16,920 |
| 28 | Medical Dosimetrists | $147,830 | $147,470 | 140 |
| 29 | Human Resources Managers | $142,990 | $149,280 | 6,480 |
| 30 | Managers, All Other | $141,160 | $141,900 | 21,830 |
| 31 | Pharmacists | $138,860 | $140,910 | 11,430 |
| 32 | Purchasing Managers | $138,710 | $148,080 | 2,670 |
| 33 | Economists | $136,150 | $124,720 | 290 |
| 34 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $135,240 | $149,230 | 880 |
| 35 | Software Developers | $134,710 | $135,980 | 58,470 |
| 36 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $134,670 | $161,740 | 1,340 |
| 37 | Database Architects | $134,630 | $139,500 | 4,070 |
| 38 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $134,540 | $292,910 | 590 |
| 39 | Public Relations Managers | $132,280 | $146,910 | 1,510 |
| 40 | Financial Risk Specialists | $132,040 | $117,330 | 3,200 |
| 41 | Nuclear Engineers | $131,850 | $133,970 | 460 |
| 42 | Information Security Analysts | $131,540 | $129,180 | 8,670 |
| 43 | Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $129,960 | $117,860 | 260 |
| 44 | Physician Assistants | $129,360 | $135,880 | 7,490 |
| 45 | Veterinarians | $129,240 | $130,100 | 2,940 |
| 46 | Air Traffic Controllers | $129,230 | $148,080 | 410 |
| 47 | Nurse Practitioners | $128,990 | $132,300 | 9,800 |
| 48 | Actuaries | $128,730 | $130,000 | 610 |
| 49 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $128,370 | $140,300 | 600 |
| 50 | Lawyers | $127,710 | $159,670 | 17,000 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in North Carolina: Anesthesiologists. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in North Carolina
- Chief Executives — $314,290 (1,930 jobs)
- General Internal Medicine Physicians — $289,780 (1,700 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $260,330 (14,080 jobs)
- Nurse Anesthetists — $224,610 (3,340 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $215,230 (1,520 jobs)
- Dentists, General — $207,000 (4,140 jobs)
- Natural Sciences Managers — $173,870 (6,010 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $172,860 (25,650 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $167,840 (6,960 jobs)
- Financial Managers — $166,780 (22,460 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.