Physician assistant salary in North Carolina
North Carolina physician assistants earn a median of $129,360 a year ($62.19 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 5% below the national median of $135,880, and ranks 40th of 51 states.
Median, North Carolina
$129,360
Mean $130,030
Middle half earns
$110,320 to $140,030
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in North Carolina
7,490
1.45x the national concentration
Where North Carolina sits in the range
North Carolina
Statewide
United States
National
Charlotte
Metro area
Raleigh
Metro area
Virginia Beach
Metro area
Durham
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of North Carolina physician assistants earned less than $101,100 and ten percent earned more than $164,770, a spread of $63,670. 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 | $101,100 | $99,380 | +1.7% |
| 25th | $110,320 | $120,670 | -8.6% |
| Median | $129,360 | $135,880 | -4.8% |
| 75th | $140,030 | $163,980 | -14.6% |
| 90th | $164,770 | $190,280 | -13.4% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 16 metro areas that include part of North Carolina. Greenville, NC has the highest median at $142,950. 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 | 1,680 | $133,140 | $108,670 to $141,240 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 1,220 | $124,300 | $114,100 to $138,120 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 780 | $126,430 | $104,310 to $139,770 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 740 | $132,670 | $123,550 to $151,710 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 730 | $130,730 | $117,940 to $144,470 |
| Asheville, NC | 460 | $131,260 | $121,590 to $140,110 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 420 | $120,540 | $110,530 to $131,970 |
| Wilmington, NCmoderate precision | 270 | $131,270 | $112,710 to $155,480 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 220 | $134,300 | $121,580 to $149,410 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 190 | $127,210 | $108,330 to $135,520 |
| Greenville, NC | 190 | $142,950 | $120,320 to $142,950 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 130 | $131,770 | $121,300 to $159,990 |
| Goldsboro, NCmoderate precision | 60 | $128,370 | $115,220 to $129,840 |
| Jacksonville, NCmoderate precision | 60 | $116,300 | $104,850 to $129,650 |
| Burlington, NC | 50 | $113,200 | $106,410 to $131,880 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 50 | $116,930 | $107,960 to $128,400 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in North Carolina
| Occupation | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $129,360 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $128,990 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $224,610 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $84,350 | $97,550 |
The North Carolina PA workforce
BLS counts 7,490 physician assistants on North Carolina payrolls, or 1.52 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, more concentrated than in the country as a whole. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 10,502 physician assistants with a North Carolina practice address, and 391 new PA 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 $110,320, it sits in the bottom quarter of what North Carolina physician assistants 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 $140,030, 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 PA pay in North Carolina
How much does a PA make in North Carolina?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in North Carolina was $129,360 in May 2025, and the mean was $130,030, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $110,320 and $140,030.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in North Carolina?
The median hourly wage was $62.19 and the mean was $62.51. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do PAs earn the most in North Carolina?
Among North Carolina metro areas with published data, Greenville, NC had the highest median at $142,950, and Burlington, NC the lowest at $113,200.
How does North Carolina rank for PA pay?
North Carolina ranks 40th of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 5% below the national median of $135,880. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many physician assistants work in North Carolina?
BLS estimated 7,490 physician assistants employed in North Carolina in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 10,502 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 29-1071, 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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