Registered Nurses salary in Raleigh, NC
Median pay for registered nurses in Raleigh, NC: $81,910/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $64,850 – $103,640 · about 11,630 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$1,100 (+1%).
What it's really worth in Raleigh
With Raleigh's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $81,910 has the buying power of about $83,280 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $91,818 · median home $438,364 · median rent $1,694/mo.
How Raleigh ranks for this job
On raw pay, Raleigh, NC is 80th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Raleigh's cost of living is applied, it ranks 134th.
The headline number flatters Raleigh. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Raleigh
A median home in Raleigh, NC costs $438,364 — about 5.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,694/mo works out at 25% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Raleigh.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Raleigh | Rent vs Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +128% | 1.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +121% | 1.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +119% | 2.1× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +93% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Raleigh | Rent vs Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | $87,190 | +6% | 0.9× |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $83,020 | +1% | 0.9× |
| Charlotte, NC | $81,190 | −1% | 1× |
| Greensboro, NC | $80,950 | −1% | 0.8× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Raleigh
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Duke University Health System · Healthcare
- University of North Carolina · Education
- North Carolina State University · Education
Other jobs in Raleigh
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.