High paying medical jobs in Wilmington, NC

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Wilmington, 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 Wilmington, NC run 3.6% below the national average (2024), so a Wilmington, NC salary is worth about 1.04× 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 Wilmington, NC

OccupationMedian, Wilmington, NC · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$252,960
Doctoral or professional degree
$65,110 – $423,870450
2Nurse Anesthetists$218,830
Master's degree
$120,630 – $266,240150
3Dentists, General$185,720
Doctoral or professional degree
$98,210 – $330,890220
4Optometrists$163,800
Doctoral or professional degree
$109,780 – $355,440120
5Pharmacists$151,790
Doctoral or professional degree
$105,460 – $170,860480
6Veterinarians$131,670
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,370 – $210,880190
7Physician Assistants$131,270
Master's degree
$98,760 – $155,480270
8Nurse Practitioners$124,990
Master's degree
$100,000 – $158,060390
9Physical Therapists$98,770
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,470 – $121,570460
10Dental Hygienists$96,700
Associate's degree
$80,730 – $103,970440
11Occupational Therapists$86,420
Master's degree
$64,290 – $113,380260
12Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$83,650
Associate's degree
$76,350 – $100,20070
13Speech-Language Pathologists$82,410
Master's degree
$49,820 – $123,190300
14Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$81,480
Associate's degree
$66,890 – $103,270170
15Respiratory Therapists$81,020
Associate's degree
$64,490 – $95,830200
16Registered Nurses$80,970
Bachelor's degree
$67,510 – $103,2505,040
17Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$67,210
Associate's degree
$48,100 – $101,050410
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$63,390
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,640 – $72,470790
19Chiropractors$62,230
Doctoral or professional degree
$26,270 – $138,68070
20Dietitians and Nutritionists$62,080
Bachelor's degree
$38,880 – $78,690160
21Paramedics$61,060
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,200 – $80,170210
22Surgical Technologists$60,900
Postsecondary nondegree award
$42,570 – $65,780210
23Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$58,110
Bachelor's degree
$38,980 – $81,930400
24Emergency Medical Technicians$53,850
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,200 – $65,220240
25Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$47,620
Associate's degree
$36,270 – $56,020140
26Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$45,530
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,830 – $58,910160
27Opticians, Dispensing$45,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,280 – $83,600130
28Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$45,060
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,630 – $65,810270
29Pharmacy Technicians$44,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,940 – $62,620670
30Medical Records Specialists$42,930
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,080 – $109,410220
31Psychiatric Technicians$34,200
Postsecondary nondegree award
$33,640 – $50,460290

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

#	Occupation	MedianWilmington, NC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$252,960	$65,110 – $423,870	450
2	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$218,830	$120,630 – $266,240	150
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$185,720	$98,210 – $330,890	220
4	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$163,800	$109,780 – $355,440	120
5	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$151,790	$105,460 – $170,860	480
6	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$131,670	$77,370 – $210,880	190
7	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$131,270	$98,760 – $155,480	270
8	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$124,990	$100,000 – $158,060	390
9	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$98,770	$75,470 – $121,570	460
10	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$96,700	$80,730 – $103,970	440
11	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$86,420	$64,290 – $113,380	260
12	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$83,650	$76,350 – $100,200	70
13	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$82,410	$49,820 – $123,190	300
14	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$81,480	$66,890 – $103,270	170
15	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$81,020	$64,490 – $95,830	200
16	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$80,970	$67,510 – $103,250	5,040
17	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$67,210	$48,100 – $101,050	410
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,390	$51,640 – $72,470	790
19	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$62,230	$26,270 – $138,680	70
20	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$62,080	$38,880 – $78,690	160
21	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,060	$39,200 – $80,170	210
22	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,900	$42,570 – $65,780	210
23	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$58,110	$38,980 – $81,930	400
24	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$53,850	$36,200 – $65,220	240
25	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$47,620	$36,270 – $56,020	140
26	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$45,530	$37,830 – $58,910	160
27	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,400	$36,280 – $83,600	130
28	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$45,060	$38,630 – $65,810	270
29	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,300	$35,940 – $62,620	670
30	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,930	$37,080 – $109,410	220
31	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$34,200	$33,640 – $50,460	290

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

High paying medical jobs in Wilmington, NC

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