North Carolina
Highest-Paying Occupations in North Carolina
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025North Carolina
Figures describe the state of North Carolina as a whole. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (17 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 745 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgeons, All Other | $398,410 | $191.54 | 480 |
| 2 | Dermatologists | $367,350 | $176.61 | 800 |
| 3 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $339,350 | $163.15 | 710 |
| 4 | Neurologists | $325,550 | $156.52 | 180 |
| 5 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $323,630 | $155.59 | 560 |
| 6 | Chief Executives | $314,290 | $151.10 | 1,930 |
| 7 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $289,780 | $139.32 | 1,700 |
| 8 | Physicians, All Other | $260,330 | $125.16 | 14,080 |
| 9 | Physicians, Pathologists | $248,940 | $119.69 | 340 |
| 10 | Anesthesiologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 980 |
| 11 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $225,990 | $108.65 | 130 |
| 12 | Orthodontists | $224,990 | $108.17 | 160 |
| 13 | Nurse Anesthetists | $224,610 | $107.99 | 3,340 |
| 14 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $224,040 | $107.71 | Not published |
| 15 | Podiatrists | $215,420 | $103.57 | 240 |
| 16 | Family Medicine Physicians | $215,230 | $103.47 | 1,520 |
| 17 | Dentists, General | $207,000 | $99.52 | 4,140 |
| 18 | Pediatricians, General | $183,550 | $88.25 | 740 |
| 19 | Physicists | $174,180 | $83.74 | 150 |
| 20 | Natural Sciences Managers | $173,870 | $83.59 | 6,010 |
| 21 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $172,860 | $83.11 | 25,650 |
| 22 | Psychiatrists | $168,880 | $81.19 | 620 |
| 23 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,840 | $80.69 | 6,960 |
| 24 | Financial Managers | $166,780 | $80.18 | 22,460 |
| 25 | Marketing Managers | $165,480 | $79.56 | 10,790 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the North Carolina overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.