Nurse practitioner salary in North Carolina
North Carolina nurse practitioners earn a median of $128,990 a year ($62.01 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 3% below the national median of $132,300, and ranks 38th of 51 states.
Median, North Carolina
$128,990
Mean $130,870
Middle half earns
$114,260 to $142,180
US: $117,990 to $156,700
Employed in North Carolina
9,800
0.96x the national concentration
Where North Carolina sits in the range
North Carolina
Statewide
United States
National
Charlotte
Metro area
Raleigh
Metro area
Durham
Metro area
Virginia Beach
Metro area
Nurse practitioner pay by percentile
Ten percent of North Carolina nurse practitioners earned less than $103,530 and ten percent earned more than $164,320, a spread of $60,790. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | North Carolina | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $103,530 | $101,340 | +2.2% |
| 25th | $114,260 | $117,990 | -3.2% |
| Median | $128,990 | $132,300 | -2.5% |
| 75th | $142,180 | $156,700 | -9.3% |
| 90th | $164,320 | $174,420 | -5.8% |
Nurse practitioner pay by metro area
BLS published NP pay for 16 metro areas that include part of North Carolina. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC has the highest median at $132,300. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,970 | $130,310 | $116,290 to $142,530 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 1,510 | $128,150 | $113,670 to $147,800 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 1,450 | $132,300 | $123,970 to $147,160 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 1,300 | $124,530 | $106,220 to $132,980 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 820 | $132,230 | $121,710 to $157,990 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 750 | $130,840 | $117,010 to $160,200 |
| Asheville, NC | 520 | $127,770 | $111,110 to $135,940 |
| Wilmington, NC | 390 | $124,990 | $103,760 to $135,110 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 300 | $126,620 | $108,380 to $135,310 |
| Greenville, NC | 280 | $130,430 | $109,520 to $131,440 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 210 | $121,410 | $103,490 to $143,220 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 110 | $124,520 | $111,390 to $139,550 |
| Goldsboro, NCmoderate precision | 90 | $122,950 | $105,890 to $129,490 |
| Burlington, NC | 80 | $131,980 | $118,210 to $163,100 |
| Jacksonville, NC | 70 | $120,700 | $106,140 to $127,780 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 40 | $117,880 | $105,670 to $126,720 |
How NP pay compares with other clinicians in North Carolina
| Occupation | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner | $128,990 | $132,300 |
| Physician assistant | $129,360 | $135,880 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $224,610 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $84,350 | $97,550 |
The North Carolina NP workforce
BLS counts 9,800 nurse practitioners on North Carolina payrolls, or 1.98 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, close to the national concentration. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 14,837 nurse practitioners with a North Carolina practice address, and 779 new NP NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $114,260, it sits in the bottom quarter of what North Carolina nurse practitioners earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $142,180, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about NP pay in North Carolina
How much does a NP make in North Carolina?
The median annual wage for nurse practitioners in North Carolina was $128,990 in May 2025, and the mean was $130,870, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $114,260 and $142,180.
What is the hourly rate for nurse practitioners in North Carolina?
The median hourly wage was $62.01 and the mean was $62.92. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do NPs earn the most in North Carolina?
Among North Carolina metro areas with published data, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC had the highest median at $132,300, and Rocky Mount, NC the lowest at $117,880.
How does North Carolina rank for NP pay?
North Carolina ranks 38th of 51 states (including DC) by median NP pay, 3% below the national median of $132,300. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many nurse practitioners work in North Carolina?
BLS estimated 9,800 nurse practitioners employed in North Carolina in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 14,837 with a North Carolina practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1171, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
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