Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, ranked by annual average salary. For each job, the table displays the number of employees with that job, as well as the job's entry-level salary. (The entry-level salary is calculated based on the 10% of paid workers with the lowest salaries.)

Based on the table, we see that the highest-paying jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area are those of chief executive, with an average annual salary of $207,290. The second highest-paying jobs are those of general dentist, with an average salary of $205,660.

All of the shown salary and employment information for Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has been computed using data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in April 2023. Notably, the highest-paying occupations change from year to year. Tables 2, 3, and 4 show the top 10 highest-paying occupations in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Table 1. Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area (2022 survey)

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Chief Executives	$207,290	$128,600	60
2	General Dentists	$205,660	$106,610	170
3	Nurse Anesthetists	$202,070	$92,850	60
4	All Other Physicians	$196,060	$57,280	330
5	Family Medicine Physicians	$189,120	$140,730	110
6	General Pediatricians	$168,770	$117,970	40
7	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$129,210	$99,390	130
8	Pharmacists	$129,110	$55,310	580
9	Optometrists	$128,420	$74,590	50
10	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$127,200	$81,220	260
11	Marketing Managers	$122,510	$76,270	130
12	Software Developers	$120,590	$65,970	480
13	Financial Managers	$120,130	$69,910	450
14	Purchasing Managers	$119,100	$73,690	80
15	Commercial Pilots	$107,400	$51,520	170
16	Computer Network Architects	$107,270	$70,100	80
17	Nurse Practitioners	$105,370	$84,990	330
18	Physician Assistants	$104,870	$92,750	260
19	Information Security Analysts	$103,460	$57,160	50
20	Engineers, All Other	$102,750	$58,700	50
21	Training and Development Managers	$102,710	$71,740	50
22	Industrial Production Managers	$100,330	$63,650	420
23	Sales Managers	$99,750	$53,250	350
24	Medical and Health Services Managers	$99,380	$71,990	510
25	Sales Engineers	$98,440	$70,930	30
26	Veterinarians	$96,740	$62,540	150
27	Electrical Engineers	$96,190	$66,420	170
28	Human Resources Managers	$95,120	$61,930	190
29	Data Scientists	$94,840	$65,560	70
30	Natural Sciences Managers	$93,470	$49,020	40
31	Physical Therapists	$93,140	$74,990	300
32	All Other Managers	$91,440	$53,030	530
33	Computer Programmers	$91,100	$49,860	60
34	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$89,010	$55,150	190
35	General and Operations Managers	$87,010	$41,180	3,470
36	Occupational Therapists	$86,130	$59,420	160
37	Industrial Engineers	$85,870	$61,660	500
38	Administrative Services Managers	$84,250	$57,990	170
39	Personal Financial Advisors	$83,690	$46,990	180
40	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$82,960	$75,280	60
41	Construction Managers	$82,790	$20,680	840
42	Lawyers	$82,650	$58,780	300
43	Facilities Managers	$82,470	$56,830	110
44	Materials Engineers	$82,260	$67,630	40
45	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$81,450	$37,280	140
46	Mechanical Engineers	$80,850	$55,180	180
47	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$80,670	$56,930	270
48	Project Management Specialists	$80,040	$46,110	510
49	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment	$79,750	$57,310	70
50	Management Analysts	$78,660	$48,270	310
51	Civil Engineers	$78,210	$54,980	210
52	Financial Risk Specialists	$77,940	$40,110	40
53	Environmental Engineers	$77,380	$60,250	30
54	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$77,360	$57,930	100
55	Computer Systems Analysts	$76,870	$52,100	300
56	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$76,630	$61,810	640
57	Speech-Language Pathologists	$76,550	$46,790	240
58	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$75,430	$40,930	290
59	Chiropractors	$74,980	$23,980	40
60	Web and Digital Interface Designers	$73,470	$43,810	40
61	Dental Hygienists	$72,890	$64,440	290
62	Operations Research Analysts	$71,990	$41,060	30
63	Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	$71,540	$48,830	40
64	Postsecondary Business Teachers	$71,230	$49,120	160
65	Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians	$70,620	$46,900	220
66	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$70,560	$47,110	220
67	Computer Occupations, All Other	$69,360	$33,290	110
68	Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	$68,460	$39,900	150
69	Accountants and Auditors	$68,380	$46,080	1,460
70	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$68,340	$44,640	110
71	Registered Nurses	$67,780	$51,440	4,120
72	Other Postsecondary Teachers	$67,510	$52,500	40
73	Urban and Regional Planners	$67,060	$48,190	60
74	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$66,610	$52,630	110
75	Crane and Tower Operators	$66,390	$38,780	70
76	Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	$65,660	$48,950	540
77	Millwrights	$65,360	$37,600	160
78	Postsecondary Education Teachers	$64,600	$48,570	160
79	Chemists	$64,520	$45,910	150
80	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$64,480	$37,960	170
81	Postsecondary Social Work Teachers	$64,070	$49,100	40
82	Postsecondary Sociology Teachers	$63,930	$48,940	40
83	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$63,890	$39,180	1,100
84	Postsecondary Communications Teachers	$63,730	$38,530	30
85	Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers	$63,540	$49,610	210
86	Postsecondary Psychology Teachers	$63,430	$48,830	60
87	Loan Officers	$63,380	$39,510	400
88	Financial Analysts	$63,340	$36,960	180
89	Logisticians	$63,220	$40,110	130
90	Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teachers	$63,080	$38,010	160
91	Emergency Management Directors	$62,800	$46,680	40
92	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$62,780	$40,210	420
93	Postsecondary Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers	$62,650	$47,580	70
94	Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$62,460	$33,330	490
95	Occupational Therapy Assistants	$62,450	$40,980	80
96	Postsecondary Computer Science Teachers	$62,230	$38,870	50
97	Postsecondary Biological Science Teachers	$62,100	$46,460	100
98	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$61,590	$36,520	1,730
99	Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians	$61,580	$46,680	160
100	Respiratory Therapists	$61,510	$48,670	210

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	All Other Physicians	$169,630
2	Chief Executives	$169,500
3	General Pediatricians	$164,390
4	General Dentists	$156,350
5	Marketing Managers	$127,240
6	Pharmacists	$126,210
7	Optometrists	$125,700
8	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$122,940
9	Financial Managers	$121,690
10	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$119,440

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Family Medicine Physicians	$200,220
2	All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$196,710
3	Nurse Anesthetists	$196,480
4	Chief Executives	$155,770
5	General Pediatricians	$154,640
6	General Dentists	$141,700
7	Marketing Managers	$140,570
8	Optometrists	$137,250
9	Pharmacists	$133,040
10	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$121,240

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Family Medicine Physicians	$205,500
2	Nurse Anesthetists	$183,290
3	All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$181,170
4	General Dentists	$177,090
5	Chief Executives	$161,260
6	General Pediatricians	$152,680
7	Pharmacists	$132,550
8	Natural Sciences Managers	$132,130
9	Optometrists	$131,380
10	Marketing Managers	$130,870

Also see The most popular jobs in Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.

Also see The most popular jobs in North Carolina, The top paying jobs in North Carolina.