How Much Does an MRI Tech Make in Hickory, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for MRI Techs in Hickory, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area
A typical MRI Tech in Hickory, North Carolina earns $41.41 per hour, or $86,130 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,178 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $63,160, and the top 10% of earners make over $106,630.
That pay is 1% above the North Carolina figure of $85,120 and 10% below the national figure of $95,480. Hickory ranks 4th of 9 metro areas in North Carolina for MRI Tech pay. About 30 MRI Techs work in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area. Hickory is part of the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Morganton and Lenoir share these figures.
MRI Tech pay in Hickory at a glance
- Typical pay is $41.41 an hour, or $86,130 a year.
- That is 1% above the North Carolina figure, ranking 4th of 9 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $63,160; the top 10% make over $106,630.
- Typical pay rose +27% from 2015 to 2025, against +29% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an MRI Tech make in Hickory?
Pay in Hickory runs from entry-level positions at around $30.37 an hour to more than $51.26 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the North Carolina and national figures.
MRI Tech pay by career stage in Hickory
| Career stage | Hickory | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $63,160$30.37 an hour | $63,940$30.74 an hour | $68,890$33.12 an hour |
| First years | $78,810$37.89 an hour | $79,460$38.20 an hour | $81,040$38.96 an hour |
| Typical MRI Tech | $86,130$41.41 an hour | $85,120$40.93 an hour | $95,480$45.91 an hour |
| Experienced | $93,460$44.94 an hour | $95,920$46.12 an hour | $106,340$51.12 an hour |
| Top 10% | $106,630$51.26 an hour | $101,240$48.67 an hour | $127,670$61.38 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area as BLS defines it
MRI Tech pay growth in Hickory
Typical (median) annual wage for MRI Techs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical MRI Tech pay in Hickory was $68,070 a year. By 2025 it had reached $86,130, a change of +27%, compared with +29% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Hickory compares with other North Carolina cities
Norfolk pays MRI Techs the most in North Carolina at $95,950 a year, $9,820 more than Hickory. The lowest-paying area in the state is Fayetteville at $79,460.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Hickory | MRI Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norfolk metro incl. Chesapeake | $95,950 | $46.13 | +11% | 160 |
| 2 | Charlotte | $90,930 | $43.72 | +6% | 280 |
| 3 | Winston metro incl. Salem | $86,870 | $41.77 | +1% | 130 |
| 4 | Hickory | $86,130 | $41.41 | this city | 30 |
| 5 | Wilmington | $83,650 | $40.22 | -3% | 70 |
| 6 | Raleigh metro incl. Cary | $83,030 | $39.92 | -4% | 130 |
| 7 | Asheville | $82,250 | $39.54 | -5% | 50 |
| 8 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $81,890 | $39.37 | -5% | 60 |
| 9 | Fayetteville | $79,460 | $38.20 | -8% | 30 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with MRI Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $85,120
Is Hickory a good place to work as an MRI Tech?
MRI Techs in Hickory earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $86,130 a year, 10% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area, about 0.2 are MRI Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.3. That makes MRI Techs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an MRI Tech make in Hickory, NC?
- A typical MRI Tech in Hickory earns $86,130 a year, or $41.41 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $63,160 and the top 10% earn over $106,630.
- How much does an MRI Tech make an hour in Hickory?
- Typical hourly pay for MRI Techs in Hickory is $41.41. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $30.37, and the top 10% earn over $51.26 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an MRI Tech in Hickory?
- Entry-level MRI Tech positions in Hickory typically offer around $30.37 an hour, or $63,160 a year.
- Is MRI Tech pay in Hickory higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Hickory pay is 1% above the North Carolina figure of $85,120 a year, ranking 4th of 9 metro areas in the state. Norfolk pays the most in North Carolina at $95,950.