High paying medical jobs in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run 2.4% below the national average (2024), so a Durham-Chapel Hill, NC salary is worth about 1.02× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

OccupationMedian, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC · Employed

1Dentists, General$208,490
Doctoral or professional degree
$119,990 – $333,410200
2Pharmacists$141,360
Doctoral or professional degree
$102,870 – $165,7401,150
3Physician Assistants$132,670
Master's degree
$107,420 – $168,950740
4Veterinarians$132,500
Doctoral or professional degree
$52,170 – $217,080210
5Nurse Practitioners$132,300
Master's degree
$108,200 – $167,0601,450
6Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other$123,280
Master's degree
$68,060 – $188,640290
7Dental Hygienists$101,460
Associate's degree
$82,490 – $103,850350
8Physical Therapists$100,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$80,720 – $125,880790
9Speech-Language Pathologists$83,460
Master's degree
$60,250 – $125,630390
10Occupational Therapists$83,160
Master's degree
$64,060 – $111,050390
11Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$80,430
Associate's degree
$63,740 – $102,350780
12Dietitians and Nutritionists$74,630
Bachelor's degree
$59,990 – $92,240340
13Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$66,950
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,190 – $76,190960
14Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$65,000
Postsecondary nondegree award
$42,740 – $74,180130
15Paramedics$64,310
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,810 – $75,340230
16Surgical Technologists$60,610
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,950 – $82,170370
17Medical Records Specialists$57,290
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,730 – $82,040620
18Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$54,610
Postsecondary nondegree award
$42,200 – $95,890670
19Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$50,660
Associate's degree
$37,910 – $81,470150
20Pharmacy Technicians$47,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,110 – $59,1301,380
21Emergency Medical Technicians$46,330
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,230 – $59,750340
22Psychiatric Technicians$44,100
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,580 – $51,490430
23Dietetic Technicians$41,260
Associate's degree
$30,580 – $44,450150

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianDurham-Chapel Hill, NC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$208,490	$119,990 – $333,410	200
2	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$141,360	$102,870 – $165,740	1,150
3	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$132,670	$107,420 – $168,950	740
4	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$132,500	$52,170 – $217,080	210
5	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$132,300	$108,200 – $167,060	1,450
6	Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All OtherMaster's degree	$123,280	$68,060 – $188,640	290
7	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$101,460	$82,490 – $103,850	350
8	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,240	$80,720 – $125,880	790
9	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$83,460	$60,250 – $125,630	390
10	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$83,160	$64,060 – $111,050	390
11	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$80,430	$63,740 – $102,350	780
12	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$74,630	$59,990 – $92,240	340
13	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$66,950	$50,190 – $76,190	960
14	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$65,000	$42,740 – $74,180	130
15	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,310	$48,810 – $75,340	230
16	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,610	$39,950 – $82,170	370
17	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$57,290	$40,730 – $82,040	620
18	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$54,610	$42,200 – $95,890	670
19	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$50,660	$37,910 – $81,470	150
20	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,350	$38,110 – $59,130	1,380
21	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,330	$40,230 – $59,750	340
22	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,100	$36,580 – $51,490	430
23	Dietetic TechniciansAssociate's degree	$41,260	$30,580 – $44,450	150

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

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