How Much Does an NP Make in Hickory, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for NPs 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 NP in Hickory, North Carolina earns $60.87 per hour, or $126,620 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,552 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $99,170, and the top 10% of earners make over $158,080.
That pay is 2% below the North Carolina figure of $128,990 and 4% below the national figure of $132,300. Hickory ranks 9th of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for NP pay. About 300 NPs 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.
NP pay in Hickory at a glance
- Typical pay is $60.87 an hour, or $126,620 a year.
- That is 2% below the North Carolina figure, ranking 9th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $99,170; the top 10% make over $158,080.
- Typical pay rose +32% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an NP make in Hickory?
Pay in Hickory runs from entry-level positions at around $47.68 an hour to more than $76.00 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the North Carolina and national figures.
NP pay by career stage in Hickory
| Career stage | Hickory | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $99,170$47.68 an hour | $103,530$49.77 an hour | $101,340$48.72 an hour |
| First years | $108,380$52.11 an hour | $114,260$54.94 an hour | $117,990$56.73 an hour |
| Typical NP | $126,620$60.87 an hour | $128,990$62.01 an hour | $132,300$63.61 an hour |
| Experienced | $135,310$65.05 an hour | $142,180$68.36 an hour | $156,700$75.34 an hour |
| Top 10% | $158,080$76.00 an hour | $164,320$79.00 an hour | $174,420$83.86 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area as BLS defines it
NP pay growth in Hickory
Typical (median) annual wage for NPs 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 NP pay in Hickory was $95,600 a year. By 2025 it had reached $126,620, a change of +32%, compared with +33% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Hickory compares with other North Carolina cities
Durham pays NPs the most in North Carolina at $132,300 a year, $5,680 more than Hickory. The lowest-paying area in the state is Rocky Mount at $117,880.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Hickory | NPs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $132,300 | $63.61 | +4% | 1,450 |
| 2 | Greensboro metro incl. High Point | $132,230 | $63.57 | +4% | 820 |
| 3 | Burlington | $131,980 | $63.45 | +4% | 80 |
| 4 | Salem metro incl. Winston | $130,840 | $62.90 | +3% | 750 |
| 5 | Greenville | $130,430 | $62.71 | +3% | 280 |
| 6 | Charlotte | $130,310 | $62.65 | +3% | 1,970 |
| 7 | Raleigh metro incl. Cary | $128,150 | $61.61 | +1% | 1,510 |
| 8 | Asheville | $127,770 | $61.43 | +1% | 520 |
| 9 | Hickory | $126,620 | $60.87 | this city | 300 |
| 10 | Wilmington | $124,990 | $60.09 | -1% | 390 |
| 11 | Norfolk metro incl. Chesapeake | $124,530 | $59.87 | -2% | 1,300 |
| 12 | Pinehurst metro incl. Southern Pines | $124,520 | $59.87 | -2% | 110 |
| 13 | Goldsboro | $122,950 | $59.11 | -3% | 90 |
| 14 | Fayetteville | $121,410 | $58.37 | -4% | 210 |
| 15 | Jacksonville | $120,700 | $58.03 | -5% | 70 |
| 16 | Rocky Mount | $117,880 | $56.67 | -7% | 40 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with NP wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $128,990
Is Hickory a good place to work as an NP?
NP pay in Hickory sits close to the national figure: $126,620 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area, about 1.9 are NP positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.1. NP jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an NP make in Hickory, NC?
- A typical NP in Hickory earns $126,620 a year, or $60.87 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $99,170 and the top 10% earn over $158,080.
- How much does an NP make an hour in Hickory?
- Typical hourly pay for NPs in Hickory is $60.87. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $47.68, and the top 10% earn over $76.00 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an NP in Hickory?
- Entry-level NP positions in Hickory typically offer around $47.68 an hour, or $99,170 a year.
- Is NP pay in Hickory higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Hickory pay is 2% below the North Carolina figure of $128,990 a year, ranking 9th of 16 metro areas in the state. Durham pays the most in North Carolina at $132,300.