Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
65 Highest Paying Jobs in North Carolina (2026)
The highest-paying job in North Carolina is Obstetrician/Gynecologist with a state-aggregated median salary of $353,740 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 3 BLS-tracked metros. Across all 65 occupations the average median is $112,204, with 37 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. North Carolina's average cost-of-living index is 96, so the average median equates to $116,879 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
The 65 occupations below are ranked by median wage across North Carolina — rolling up wage data across all metropolitan areas in the state. State-level rollups smooth over the substantial intra-state wage variation typical of larger states. For state-level wage comparisons, BLS OEWS state files aggregate across MSAs and non-MSA areas. The aggregation hides legitimate within-state differences: a job in North Carolina's primary metro often pays substantially more (and costs substantially more to live near) than the same job in smaller cities.
Use the per-metro pages for the geographic-specific view. The state-level ranking is most useful for comparing North Carolina to other states, not for comparing within-state options.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in North Carolina
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across North Carolina's 3 BLS-tracked metros.
State median $353,740 · 160 jobs · top metro: Charlotte ($353,740)
Obstetrician/Gynecologists in North Carolina earn $353,740 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Charlotte) pays $353,740 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $253,099 · 380 jobs · top metro: Charlotte ($269,270)
Family Medicine Physicians in North Carolina earn $253,099 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Charlotte) pays $269,270 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $215,983 · 390 jobs · top metro: Charlotte ($217,670)
Pediatricians in North Carolina earn $215,983 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Charlotte) pays $217,670 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $194,950 · 2,330 jobs · top metro: Raleigh ($207,380)
Dentists in North Carolina earn $194,950 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Raleigh) pays $207,380 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $174,778 · 15,150 jobs · top metro: Charlotte ($176,840)
Computer and Information Systems Managers in North Carolina earn $174,778 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Charlotte) pays $176,840 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $169,060 · 14,320 jobs · top metro: Charlotte ($172,760)
Financial Managers in North Carolina earn $169,060 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Charlotte) pays $172,760 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $165,346 · 6,870 jobs · top metro: Raleigh ($167,640)
Marketing Managers in North Carolina earn $165,346 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Raleigh) pays $167,640 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $160,128 · 500 jobs · top metro: Raleigh ($163,290)
Optometrists in North Carolina earn $160,128 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Raleigh) pays $163,290 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $159,481 · 10,350 jobs · top metro: Raleigh ($163,520)
Sales Managers in North Carolina earn $159,481 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Raleigh) pays $163,520 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $151,929 · 3,810 jobs · top metro: Charlotte ($158,930)
Human Resources Managers in North Carolina earn $151,929 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Charlotte) pays $158,930 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 65 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $353,740 | Charlotte | $353,740 | 160 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $253,099 | Charlotte | $269,270 | 380 |
| 3 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $215,983 | Charlotte | $217,670 | 390 |
| 4 | Dentist | Healthcare | $194,950 | Raleigh | $207,380 | 2,330 |
| 5 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $174,778 | Charlotte | $176,840 | 15,150 |
| 6 | Financial Manager | Finance | $169,060 | Charlotte | $172,760 | 14,320 |
| 7 | Marketing Manager | Management | $165,346 | Raleigh | $167,640 | 6,870 |
| 8 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $160,128 | Raleigh | $163,290 | 500 |
| 9 | Sales Manager | Management | $159,481 | Raleigh | $163,520 | 10,350 |
| 10 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $151,929 | Charlotte | $158,930 | 3,810 |
| 11 | Statistician | Technology | $144,322 | Raleigh | $152,880 | 310 |
| 12 | Lawyer | Legal | $144,155 | Charlotte | $157,180 | 10,710 |
| 13 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $142,731 | Charlotte | $150,580 | 4,970 |
| 14 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $135,898 | Raleigh | $143,640 | 5,390 |
| 15 | Software Developer | Technology | $134,269 | Charlotte | $135,920 | 35,110 |
| 16 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $129,918 | Greensboro | $132,230 | 4,300 |
| 17 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $129,638 | Raleigh | $130,350 | 1,450 |
| 18 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $128,298 | Charlotte | $133,140 | 3,320 |
| 19 | Data Scientist | Technology | $127,571 | Charlotte | $132,460 | 6,780 |
| 20 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $126,623 | Charlotte | $134,410 | 4,970 |
| 21 | Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $121,110 | Raleigh | $128,370 | 390 |
| 22 | Database Architect | Technology | $116,654 | Raleigh | $122,950 | 1,130 |
| 23 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $115,903 | Raleigh | $130,240 | 3,710 |
| 24 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $112,555 | Charlotte | $118,230 | 2,280 |
| 25 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $112,449 | Greensboro | $115,130 | 6,580 |
| 26 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $111,671 | Raleigh | $114,940 | 32,610 |
| 27 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $109,564 | Charlotte | $110,790 | 13,260 |
| 28 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $109,516 | Charlotte | $110,790 | 7,360 |
| 29 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $103,486 | Charlotte | $106,510 | 8,800 |
| 30 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $103,054 | Greensboro | $126,310 | 7,770 |
| 31 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $103,039 | Greensboro | $109,540 | 5,540 |
| 32 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $101,511 | Raleigh | $104,030 | 5,440 |
| 33 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $101,276 | Charlotte | $102,370 | 8,990 |
| 34 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $100,747 | Charlotte | $105,240 | 2,070 |
| 35 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $100,635 | Charlotte | $105,180 | 1,700 |
| 36 | Management Analyst | Management | $100,542 | Charlotte | $102,920 | 12,650 |
| 37 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $100,380 | Charlotte | $101,060 | 3,410 |
| 38 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $96,965 | Raleigh | $98,800 | 3,520 |
| 39 | Architect | Engineering | $96,007 | Charlotte | $98,620 | 2,220 |
| 40 | Web Developer | Technology | $95,819 | Raleigh | $102,860 | 2,050 |
| 41 | Network Architect | Technology | $94,616 | Raleigh | $103,380 | 7,670 |
| 42 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $94,104 | Raleigh | $97,790 | 140 |
| 43 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $93,564 | Charlotte | $98,450 | 2,090 |
| 44 | Web Designer | Technology | $92,837 | Charlotte | $101,980 | 1,040 |
| 45 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $91,331 | Raleigh | $110,800 | 5,930 |
| 46 | Accountant | Finance | $88,039 | Charlotte | $92,910 | 29,310 |
| 47 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $87,960 | Charlotte | $90,620 | 46,030 |
| 48 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $87,692 | Charlotte | $90,960 | 2,740 |
| 49 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $85,850 | Raleigh | $103,820 | 1,010 |
| 50 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $84,716 | Charlotte | $84,720 | 860 |
| 51 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $80,521 | Charlotte | $82,930 | 17,970 |
| 52 | Loan Officer | Finance | $75,089 | Charlotte | $78,200 | 6,610 |
| 53 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $71,203 | Charlotte | $75,190 | 5,290 |
| 54 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $68,868 | Charlotte | $75,420 | 2,750 |
| 55 | Writer/Author | Creative | $65,870 | Raleigh | $69,100 | 880 |
| 56 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $60,518 | Charlotte | $62,360 | 4,520 |
| 57 | Paralegal | Legal | $60,408 | Raleigh | $61,880 | 7,540 |
| 58 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $60,122 | Raleigh | $60,380 | 15,010 |
| 59 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $59,752 | Raleigh | $61,700 | 3,150 |
| 60 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $59,274 | Raleigh | $60,170 | 19,190 |
| 61 | Plumber | Trades | $59,191 | Raleigh | $60,540 | 7,760 |
| 62 | Electrician | Trades | $58,177 | Charlotte | $59,080 | 10,980 |
| 63 | Welder | Trades | $55,843 | Raleigh | $56,940 | 5,640 |
| 64 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $52,097 | Charlotte | $53,660 | 13,750 |
| 65 | Carpenter | Trades | $50,796 | Charlotte | $50,960 | 7,170 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in North Carolina
North Carolina's pay distribution reflects Charlotte's banking sector and the Raleigh-Durham research-triangle biotech and tech cluster. Below-average cost of living combined with strong technical wages produces favorable COL-adjusted pay.
$North Carolina tracks $3 BLS-published metros covering approximately $488,080 workers across the $65 occupations on this page. State-aggregated medians are employment-weighted across metros, which is the right way to read "state pay" when BLS publishes by metro. The Obstetrician/Gynecologist top spot reflects Charlotte pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in North Carolina typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within North Carolina, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in North Carolina is Obstetrician/Gynecologist with a state median salary of $353,740. The top-paying metro for this role is Charlotte at $353,740 median. The role employs roughly 160 workers across North Carolina.
37 of the 65 BLS-tracked occupations in North Carolina have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally for high-paying occupations.
Across 65 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in North Carolina is $112,204. The figure is employment-weighted across 3 metros, so larger occupations and larger metros contribute proportionally more. Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national-average baseline, it equates to $116,879.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For North Carolina, this page aggregates Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro. Some non-MSA areas (small towns, rural counties) are excluded from OEWS metro tables but covered in BLS state-level summaries; we use metro-level data to preserve the percentile granularity.
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. State aggregates are computed by employment-weighting metro-level percentile wages across the BLS-tracked metros in North Carolina.
Related Pages
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in North Carolina, using OEWS 2025 data.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.