Workers with the same occupation in North Carolina can see annual earnings vary by tens of thousands of dollars depending on where they work and the industry that employs them. New estimates from the 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program show how geography and industry can shape earning potential.
The tables below illustrate these differences. As seen in Table 1, Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) earn an average annual wage of $84,510 in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton MSA, compared with $93,240 in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia MSA.
Table 2 highlights different wages by industry. Registered Nurses in the Educational Services industry earn an average annual wage of $66,900 while those working in Hospitals earn an average of $92,870.
The Bigger Picture: Employment and Wages by Occupational Group
Looking at broader occupational groups provides additional insights. While Tables 1 and 2 compare average wages for Registered Nurses, Chart 1 uses median wages to show how occupational groups are distributed by employment size and earnings. Median wages represent the midpoint of the wage distribution and are less affected by unusually high or low wages than average wages.
Chart 1 makes it easy to see where occupational groups land on the employment/wage spectrum. Registered Nurses are in the Healthcare Practitioners & Technical occupational group, located in the high wage, high employment quadrant, along with Management and Business & Financial Operations.
Behind the Numbers
In partnership with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Labor & Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) publishes OEWS estimates derived from real wage data collected from more than a million establishments nationwide over a three-year period. The result is reliable annual estimates by occupation, industry, and region - providing a clear snapshot of North Carolina’s labor market to support planning and decision-making. This high-quality labor market information is made possible by the employers who respond to OEWS surveys. The estimates help:
- Students and job seekers make informed career decisions
- Education and training providers plan programs
- Workers better understand wage expectations
- Employers establish competitive compensation rates
Explore Further
Explore OEWS data using these resources:
- Demand Driven Data Delivery (D4): Create and download customized tables by occupation, area, and industry.
- Occupational Wage Lookup Tool: Find wages by occupation and geography.
- BLS OEWS Webpage: Explore national data and estimates for other states & territories.
To learn more about the latest OEWS data, check out our recent LMI Tuesdays session: https://www.commerce.nc.gov/documents/lmi-tuesday. For assistance, contact lead@commerce.nc.gov.