Registered Nurses pay range in Hickory
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $66,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,990 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in Hickory earn between $77,320 and $97,000.
- $66K10th
- $77K25th
- $80KMedian
- $97K75th
- $101K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $84,510 | $7,042 | $40.63 |
| Median | $80,060 | $6,672 | $38.49 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $77,320 | $6,443 | $37.17 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $97,000 | $8,083 | $46.63 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in Hickory
On the average salary of $84,510, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $65,420 a year, or $5,452 a month and $2,516 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Hickory a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $84,510 buys what about $95,507 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 3.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other North Carolina cities
Hickory ranks 14th of 14 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($93,240).
- Charlotte$93,240
- Burlington$92,600
- Greenville$92,160
- Fayetteville$91,990
- Raleigh$91,890
- Winston-Salem$91,430
- Greensboro$90,430
- Asheville$89,130
- Goldsboro$88,800
- Hickory$84,510
Highest-paying cities for registered nurses
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($194,950).
- San Jose, CA$194,950
- Vallejo, CA$182,820
- San Francisco, CA$176,900
- Santa Rosa, CA$170,000
- Sacramento, CA$164,200
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Registered Nurses salary in Hickory: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in Hickory?
$40.63 an hour on average, and $38.49 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in Hickory?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $66,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,320, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in Hickory?
About $65,420 a year ($5,452 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $84,510.
Do registered nurses earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,761).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1141; area Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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