How Much Does an NP Make in North Carolina in 2026?

A typical NP in North Carolina earns about $62.01 per hour, which comes to $128,990 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Based on that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $10,749 a month or $2,481 a week for a full-time role. Those figures represent typical pay across experience levels and settings statewide.

That is 3% below the national figure of $132,300 a year, which places North Carolina 38th among the 51 states and Washington, D.C. Nationally, typical pay for NPs runs $63.61 an hour. About 9,800 NPs work across North Carolina, compared with 323,040 nationwide. Lower pay in the state tends to track a lower cost of living.

Entry-level positions in North Carolina typically offer around $49.77 an hour, or about $103,530 a year. Many NPs starting out in the state see pay move toward the broader typical figure of $128,990 within a few years on the job. Setting and specialty account for much of the early difference in pay.

Experienced NPs in North Carolina often earn upwards of $142,180 a year, and the top 10% of earners make over $164,320. That leaves a spread of $60,790 between entry-level and top pay in the state. City, practice setting, and years of experience tend to explain most of that gap. NPs in specialty or hospital-based roles in higher-paying metro areas typically sit closer to the top of the range.

North Carolina NP pay climbed from $96,740 in 2015 to $128,990 in 2025, a gain of $32,250 over the decade. That amounts to a 33% rise in typical pay over ten years. The increase has been steady rather than sudden, with pay rising in nearly every year of the trend, aside from a dip in 2021.

Nationally, NP pay rose 35% over the same decade, a slightly faster climb than North Carolina saw. North Carolina's rise came steadily, with only one down year in the ten-year stretch. Someone starting an NP career in North Carolina now enters a field where pay has trended upward, though past gains do not guarantee future ones.

Durham posts the highest NP pay in North Carolina at $132,300 a year ($63.61 an hour), about 3% above the state figure. Chapel Hill matches Durham's figure exactly, and Greensboro and High Point follow closely at $132,230 a year. These figures reflect each city's full surrounding metro area, not just the city itself.

Rocky Mount sits at the bottom of the list at $117,880 a year ($56.67 an hour), giving the state a city-to-city spread of $14,420. Charlotte employs the most NPs of any North Carolina city, with about 1,970 working there at $130,310 a year ($62.65 an hour), even though that runs below Durham's figure. Cities with higher pay generally carry a higher cost of living to match.

North Carolina's NP pay sits close to Georgia's $129,430 a year, about even with the state figure, while Virginia runs slightly lower at $127,810, about 1% below. South Carolina and Tennessee pay noticeably less, at $123,290 and $117,590, running 4% and 9% below North Carolina respectively. NPs can often transfer or endorse a license from one nearby state into another, which can widen job options across the region.

A typical NP in North Carolina earns about $128,990 a year, up 33% over the past decade from $96,740 in 2015. Pay varies by city and experience level across the state. Readers weighing a move or a new license should check North Carolina's board of nursing for current licensing requirements, and look at city-specific figures for a closer estimate of local pay before making a decision.