Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| North Carolina | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $63,270 | $66,500 | -5% |
| Median hourly wage | $30.42 | $31.97 | -5% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $67,094.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Licensed Practical Nurse in North Carolina is $63,270, or about $30.42 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Licensed Practical Nurses is $66,500. North Carolina is -5% below the national median.
Entry-level licensed practical nurses in North Carolina typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 18,010 licensed practical nurse jobs on record and a median salary of $63,270, North Carolina offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, licensed practical nurses rank 279 of the 745 occupations reported in North Carolina — higher than 63% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Surgeons, All Other at $398,410, Dermatologists at $367,350, Emergency Medicine Physicians at $339,350 — all figures are median annual wages for North Carolina.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. North Carolina levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 95.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, licensed practical nurses rank 279 of the 745 occupations reported in North Carolina — higher than 63% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in North Carolina | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other | $398,410 | $480 |
| Dermatologists | $367,350 | $800 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $339,350 | $710 |
| Neurologists | $325,550 | $180 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $323,630 | $560 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $289,780 | $1,700 |
North Carolina levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 95.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 745 occupations in North Carolina.