Wilmington, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a registered nurse make in Wilmington, NC?

In the Wilmington, NC metropolitan area, registered nurses earned a median of $80,970 a year ($38.93 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,040 of these jobs there. That is 77% above the $45,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $67,510 and $103,250; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $63,070 in take-home pay.

Registered nurse pay in Wilmington, NC at a glance

Median salary

$80,970$38.93 per hour · $6,748 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$67,510$32.46/hr
25th percentile$79,540$38.24/hr
75th percentile$103,250$49.64/hr
90th percentile$103,250$49.64/hr
Jobs in this metro5,040Location quotient 1.21 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here77% aboveAll-jobs median $45,800
Against North Carolina4% belowStatewide median $84,350
Against the U.S.17% belowNational median $97,550

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Registered nurse salary in Wilmington, NC after taxes

$80,970
$30,000$165,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$80,970
Net 78%
Fed 11%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$63,070After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,256Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,426Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate22.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$8,983 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$2,722 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,194 / yr

Registered nurses pay range in Wilmington, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Wilmington, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What registered nurses earned in the Wilmington, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$32.46/hr$5,626$67,510$54,138
25th percentile$38.24/hr$6,628$79,540$62,121
MedianMedian$38.93/hr$6,748$80,970$63,070
75th percentile$49.64/hr$8,604$103,250$77,855
90th percentile$49.64/hr$8,604$103,250$77,855

Is $80,970 a good salary in Wilmington, NC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for registered nurses next to both.

Median household income$76,471Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.43.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household105.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Registered nurse pay in Wilmington, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for registered nurses in Wilmington, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for registered nurses in the Wilmington, NC metro area was $80,970 in May 2025, about $6,748 a month or $38.93 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $84,350, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for registered nurses in Wilmington, NC?

The median hourly wage for registered nurses in Wilmington, NC was $38.93 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $32.46 an hour and one in ten earned more than $49.64.

How many registered nurses work in Wilmington, NC?

BLS estimated 5,040 jobs for registered nurses in the metro in May 2025, or 26.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.21 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for registered nurses in Wilmington, NC?

BLS wage estimates for registered nurses in Wilmington, NC run from $67,510 at the 10th percentile to $79,540 at the 25th, $103,250 at the 75th, and $103,250 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do registered nurses take home after taxes in Wilmington, NC?

On a median gross salary of $80,970, an estimated $63,070 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,426 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $17,900 (an effective rate of 22.1%).

How much do registered nurses make per month in Wilmington, NC?

On the median annual salary of $80,970, gross monthly income is $6,748. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $5,256 per month (or $2,426 every two weeks).

Is $80,970 a good salary in Wilmington, NC?

At $80,970, the median salary for registered nurses is 105.9% of the Wilmington, NC median household income ($76,471). It is 77% above the $45,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.4, so prices here run 3.6% below the U.S. average.