High paying medical jobs in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC run 11.5% below the national average (2024), so a Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC salary is worth about 1.13× 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

OccupationMedian, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$313,460
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,590 – $400,830380
2Nurse Anesthetists$213,630
Master's degree
$71,800 – $331,510120
3Dentists, General$193,320
Doctoral or professional degree
$119,840 – $312,820130
4Pharmacists$137,180
Doctoral or professional degree
$105,540 – $166,200330
5Physician Assistants$127,210
Master's degree
$100,870 – $158,040190
6Nurse Practitioners$126,620
Master's degree
$99,170 – $158,080300
7Veterinarians$124,970
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,470 – $200,78070
8Physical Therapists$101,950
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,690 – $123,220160
9Occupational Therapists$100,160
Master's degree
$69,480 – $118,410120
10Dental Hygienists$94,050
Associate's degree
$79,660 – $98,130170
11Speech-Language Pathologists$86,120
Master's degree
$64,020 – $118,410130
12Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$83,510
Associate's degree
$69,600 – $99,97050
13Registered Nurses$80,060
Bachelor's degree
$66,020 – $100,9903,020
14Respiratory Therapists$78,350
Associate's degree
$63,900 – $125,590130
15Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$68,780
Associate's degree
$47,360 – $99,610380
16Dietitians and Nutritionists$64,460
Bachelor's degree
$46,480 – $79,91080
17Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,710
Bachelor's degree
$39,900 – $86,820250
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$62,430
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,000 – $72,130740
19Surgical Technologists$57,000
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,930 – $72,850180
20Paramedics$49,460
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,570 – $59,670180
21Psychiatric Technicians$47,340
Postsecondary nondegree award
$34,630 – $51,990130
22Emergency Medical Technicians$46,020
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,190 – $65,270370
23Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$45,070
Associate's degree
$35,410 – $55,25060
24Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$44,970
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,410 – $75,650210
25Pharmacy Technicians$43,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,160 – $51,070580
26Opticians, Dispensing$40,910
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,510 – $79,28080
27Medical Records Specialists$39,900
Postsecondary nondegree award
$31,170 – $59,240150
28Dietetic Technicians$29,470
Associate's degree
$23,730 – $35,48050

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

#	Occupation	MedianHickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$313,460	$62,590 – $400,830	380
2	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$213,630	$71,800 – $331,510	120
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$193,320	$119,840 – $312,820	130
4	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$137,180	$105,540 – $166,200	330
5	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$127,210	$100,870 – $158,040	190
6	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$126,620	$99,170 – $158,080	300
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$124,970	$75,470 – $200,780	70
8	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$101,950	$78,690 – $123,220	160
9	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$100,160	$69,480 – $118,410	120
10	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$94,050	$79,660 – $98,130	170
11	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$86,120	$64,020 – $118,410	130
12	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$83,510	$69,600 – $99,970	50
13	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$80,060	$66,020 – $100,990	3,020
14	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$78,350	$63,900 – $125,590	130
15	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$68,780	$47,360 – $99,610	380
16	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$64,460	$46,480 – $79,910	80
17	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$62,710	$39,900 – $86,820	250
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,430	$51,000 – $72,130	740
19	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$57,000	$41,930 – $72,850	180
20	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,460	$48,570 – $59,670	180
21	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,340	$34,630 – $51,990	130
22	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,020	$35,190 – $65,270	370
23	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$45,070	$35,410 – $55,250	60
24	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,970	$37,410 – $75,650	210
25	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,920	$35,160 – $51,070	580
26	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,910	$35,510 – $79,280	80
27	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$39,900	$31,170 – $59,240	150
28	Dietetic TechniciansAssociate's degree	$29,470	$23,730 – $35,480	50

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

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