High paying medical jobs in North Carolina

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in North Carolina. 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 North Carolina run 5.7% below the national average (2024), so a North Carolina salary is worth about 1.06× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in North Carolina.

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

Find medical jobs in North Carolina

OccupationMedian, North Carolina · Employed

1General Internal Medicine Physicians$289,780
Doctoral or professional degree
$123,810 – $462,6801,700
2Physicians, All Other$260,330
Doctoral or professional degree
$66,740 – $424,76014,080
3Nurse Anesthetists$224,610
Master's degree
$117,170 – $323,6403,340
4Dentists, General$207,000
Doctoral or professional degree
$107,810 – $337,6304,140
5Pharmacists$138,860
Doctoral or professional degree
$101,670 – $169,82011,430
6Physician Assistants$129,360
Master's degree
$101,100 – $164,7707,490
7Veterinarians$129,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,650 – $209,3402,940
8Nurse Practitioners$128,990
Master's degree
$103,530 – $164,3209,800
9Physical Therapists$99,910
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,020 – $125,9407,350
10Dental Hygienists$97,850
Associate's degree
$77,270 – $103,8506,690
11Occupational Therapists$92,940
Master's degree
$62,230 – $118,3004,490
12Speech-Language Pathologists$86,460
Master's degree
$60,800 – $121,0405,600
13Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$86,010
Associate's degree
$67,070 – $105,5302,970
14Registered Nurses$84,350
Bachelor's degree
$67,660 – $110,220111,120
15Respiratory Therapists$80,090
Associate's degree
$63,990 – $99,5204,630
16Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$74,450
Associate's degree
$52,860 – $99,2109,250
17Dietitians and Nutritionists$67,560
Bachelor's degree
$48,910 – $88,8602,780
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$63,270
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,480 – $74,73018,010
19Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars$63,010
Associate's degree
$25,860 – $114,2602,370
20Surgical Technologists$60,920
Postsecondary nondegree award
$45,990 – $78,6504,400
21Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$60,650
Bachelor's degree
$39,860 – $86,49013,710
22Paramedics$57,320
Postsecondary nondegree award
$44,730 – $75,1705,660
23Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$55,460
Associate's degree
$38,650 – $101,8501,990
24Opticians, Dispensing$50,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,500 – $81,3402,020
25Medical Records Specialists$49,620
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,840 – $79,6706,760
26Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$47,620
Associate's degree
$35,890 – $59,4202,580
27Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$46,480
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,460 – $78,4206,640
28Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$45,150
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,260 – $61,9701,630
29Pharmacy Technicians$44,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,820 – $57,36017,260
30Emergency Medical Technicians$44,250
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,190 – $59,7506,680
31Psychiatric Technicians$40,630
Postsecondary nondegree award
$33,900 – $50,5305,950

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

#	Occupation	MedianNorth Carolina	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$289,780	$123,810 – $462,680	1,700
2	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$260,330	$66,740 – $424,760	14,080
3	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$224,610	$117,170 – $323,640	3,340
4	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$207,000	$107,810 – $337,630	4,140
5	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$138,860	$101,670 – $169,820	11,430
6	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$129,360	$101,100 – $164,770	7,490
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$129,240	$77,650 – $209,340	2,940
8	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$128,990	$103,530 – $164,320	9,800
9	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$99,910	$78,020 – $125,940	7,350
10	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$97,850	$77,270 – $103,850	6,690
11	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$92,940	$62,230 – $118,300	4,490
12	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$86,460	$60,800 – $121,040	5,600
13	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$86,010	$67,070 – $105,530	2,970
14	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$84,350	$67,660 – $110,220	111,120
15	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$80,090	$63,990 – $99,520	4,630
16	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$74,450	$52,860 – $99,210	9,250
17	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$67,560	$48,910 – $88,860	2,780
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,270	$50,480 – $74,730	18,010
19	Health Information Technologists and Medical RegistrarsAssociate's degree	$63,010	$25,860 – $114,260	2,370
20	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,920	$45,990 – $78,650	4,400
21	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$60,650	$39,860 – $86,490	13,710
22	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$57,320	$44,730 – $75,170	5,660
23	Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$55,460	$38,650 – $101,850	1,990
24	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,190	$36,500 – $81,340	2,020
25	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,620	$36,840 – $79,670	6,760
26	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$47,620	$35,890 – $59,420	2,580
27	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,480	$37,460 – $78,420	6,640
28	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$45,150	$36,260 – $61,970	1,630
29	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,530	$35,820 – $57,360	17,260
30	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,250	$35,190 – $59,750	6,680
31	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$40,630	$33,900 – $50,530	5,950

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in North Carolina. 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.

More for North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in North Carolina

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in North Carolina to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in North Carolina

More for North Carolina

Metro areas in North Carolina

By field in North Carolina

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state