High paying medical jobs in Raleigh-Cary, NC

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Raleigh-Cary, 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC run 1.8% below the national average (2024), so a Raleigh-Cary, 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC

OccupationMedian, Raleigh-Cary, NC · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$354,130
Doctoral or professional degree
$173,530 – $361,2701,190
2General Internal Medicine Physicians$291,060
Doctoral or professional degree
$168,840 – $348,230440
3Dentists, General$207,380
Doctoral or professional degree
$132,880 – $378,9601,000
4Optometrists$163,290
Doctoral or professional degree
$100,240 – $213,860240
5Pharmacists$133,120
Doctoral or professional degree
$101,720 – $165,0601,730
6Veterinarians$130,350
Doctoral or professional degree
$79,830 – $213,960520
7Nurse Practitioners$128,150
Master's degree
$103,200 – $170,5201,510
8Physician Assistants$124,300
Master's degree
$105,730 – $156,0001,220
9Physical Therapists$99,900
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,490 – $127,5301,190
10Dental Hygienists$98,800
Associate's degree
$74,940 – $105,7301,220
11Respiratory Therapists$87,820
Associate's degree
$67,420 – $108,150430
12Speech-Language Pathologists$87,400
Master's degree
$62,900 – $124,0901,050
13Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$86,130
Associate's degree
$72,900 – $109,380430
14Registered Nurses$84,830
Bachelor's degree
$72,460 – $110,22012,780
15Occupational Therapists$84,080
Master's degree
$61,770 – $121,210680
16Dietitians and Nutritionists$69,210
Bachelor's degree
$41,060 – $86,870400
17Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$68,210
Associate's degree
$54,220 – $96,6201,080
18Paramedics$65,220
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,940 – $75,950470
19Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,080
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,780 – $75,7701,740
20Surgical Technologists$61,480
Postsecondary nondegree award
$49,220 – $77,460560
21Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$59,750
Bachelor's degree
$40,190 – $86,4901,810
22Medical Records Specialists$54,340
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,130 – $93,950900
23Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other$53,470
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,060 – $122,760240
24Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$50,240
Associate's degree
$37,120 – $59,820680
25Emergency Medical Technicians$49,160
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,700 – $64,770600
26Opticians, Dispensing$47,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,980 – $83,170480
27Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$46,880
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,660 – $75,590860
28Pharmacy Technicians$46,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,920 – $55,5802,430
29Psychiatric Technicians$44,000
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,120 – $50,190950
30Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$42,860
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,870 – $47,800300

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

#	Occupation	MedianRaleigh-Cary, NC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$354,130	$173,530 – $361,270	1,190
2	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$291,060	$168,840 – $348,230	440
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$207,380	$132,880 – $378,960	1,000
4	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$163,290	$100,240 – $213,860	240
5	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$133,120	$101,720 – $165,060	1,730
6	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$130,350	$79,830 – $213,960	520
7	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$128,150	$103,200 – $170,520	1,510
8	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$124,300	$105,730 – $156,000	1,220
9	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$99,900	$78,490 – $127,530	1,190
10	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$98,800	$74,940 – $105,730	1,220
11	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$87,820	$67,420 – $108,150	430
12	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$87,400	$62,900 – $124,090	1,050
13	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$86,130	$72,900 – $109,380	430
14	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$84,830	$72,460 – $110,220	12,780
15	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$84,080	$61,770 – $121,210	680
16	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$69,210	$41,060 – $86,870	400
17	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$68,210	$54,220 – $96,620	1,080
18	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$65,220	$48,940 – $75,950	470
19	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,080	$51,780 – $75,770	1,740
20	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,480	$49,220 – $77,460	560
21	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$59,750	$40,190 – $86,490	1,810
22	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$54,340	$37,130 – $93,950	900
23	Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$53,470	$38,060 – $122,760	240
24	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$50,240	$37,120 – $59,820	680
25	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,160	$36,700 – $64,770	600
26	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,090	$37,980 – $83,170	480
27	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,880	$36,660 – $75,590	860
28	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,130	$36,920 – $55,580	2,430
29	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,000	$37,120 – $50,190	950
30	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,860	$36,870 – $47,800	300

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

High paying medical jobs in Raleigh-Cary, NC

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