Registered Nurses pay range in Wilmington
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $67,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $103,250 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in Wilmington earn between $79,540 and $103,250.
- $68K10th
- $80K25th
- $81KMedian
- $103K75th
- $103K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $87,900 | $7,325 | $42.26 |
| Median | $80,970 | $6,748 | $38.93 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $79,540 | $6,628 | $38.24 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $103,250 | $8,604 | $49.64 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in Wilmington
On the average salary of $87,900, a single filer in Wilmington takes home about $67,669 a year, or $5,639 a month and $2,603 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 Wilmington a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Wilmington area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.4), so the average $87,900 buys what about $91,162 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Wilmington ($45,800). A typical home costs $446,210, or 5.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other North Carolina cities
Wilmington ranks 11th 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
- Wilmington$87,900
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 Wilmington: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in Wilmington?
$42.26 an hour on average, and $38.93 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in Wilmington?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $67,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $79,540, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in Wilmington?
About $67,669 a year ($5,639 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $87,900.
Do registered nurses earn more in Wilmington than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% 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 Wilmington, NC (48900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
- 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 1.21, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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