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

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Other 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 Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area are those of all other physicians, with an average annual salary of $212,600. The second highest-paying jobs are those of general dentist, with an average salary of $169,770.

All of the shown salary and employment information for Other 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 Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	All Other Physicians	$212,600	$59,990	70
2	General Dentists	$169,770	$50,880	40
3	Pharmacists	$131,840	$107,550	190
4	Software Developers	$107,750	$70,280	120
5	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$104,720	$66,360	60
6	Nurse Practitioners	$103,100	$84,990	110
7	Physician Assistants	$101,580	$93,120	100
8	Financial Managers	$98,490	$69,780	160
9	Electrical Engineers	$97,980	$60,750	30
10	Industrial Production Managers	$97,580	$46,770	130
11	Physical Therapists	$97,300	$72,160	90
12	Personal Financial Advisors	$96,920	$36,080	50
13	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$96,790	$39,770	30
14	Medical and Health Services Managers	$96,210	$66,670	230
15	Management Analysts	$96,030	$30,570	120
16	Marketing Managers	$95,760	$58,260	60
17	Occupational Therapists	$95,380	$76,650	50
18	Veterinarians	$95,250	$52,000	30
19	Civil Engineers	$94,080	$58,760	80
20	Mechanical Engineers	$92,770	$61,990	40
21	Human Resources Managers	$88,780	$58,970	50
22	Industrial Engineers	$86,410	$62,350	80
23	Project Management Specialists	$84,020	$47,120	140
24	Facilities Managers	$82,060	$62,730	40
25	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$81,660	$46,490	40
26	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment	$81,630	$66,180	80
27	Administrative Services Managers	$81,450	$51,310	90
28	All Other Managers	$81,320	$48,850	170
29	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$80,700	$51,060	90
30	Sales Managers	$80,520	$41,680	90
31	Logisticians	$80,020	$42,980	90
32	General and Operations Managers	$79,580	$37,590	1,560
33	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$79,550	$45,870	50
34	Construction Managers	$79,540	$46,340	330
35	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$78,080	$74,900	40
36	Computer Occupations, All Other	$77,010	$33,190	60
37	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$76,930	$61,040	440
38	Dental Hygienists	$76,770	$59,200	90
39	Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians	$75,920	$35,660	330
40	Speech-Language Pathologists	$75,300	$49,870	80
41	Registered Nurses	$74,420	$51,440	1,670
42	Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	$73,580	$40,760	30
43	Real Estate Brokers	$73,170	$28,040	60
44	Computer Systems Analysts	$73,120	$43,950	60
45	Sheet Metal Workers	$73,070	$39,320	80
46	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$70,800	$48,670	70
47	Avionics Technicians	$70,300	$52,190	100
48	Urban and Regional Planners	$70,030	$44,430	40
49	Lawyers	$70,030	$59,990	180
50	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$69,310	$47,050	120
51	Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	$68,560	$36,720	90
52	Food Service Managers	$68,380	$48,770	190
53	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$68,240	$40,610	100
54	Postsecondary Business Teachers	$67,510	$49,080	50
55	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$65,050	$36,130	250
56	Postsecondary Education Teachers	$64,710	$44,110	70
57	Radiologic Technologists	$64,330	$47,920	110
58	Accountants and Auditors	$64,090	$45,710	470
59	Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teachers	$64,000	$39,340	50
60	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$63,980	$53,480	60
61	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$63,900	$40,740	480
62	Other Business Operations Specialists	$63,740	$39,040	320
63	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$62,930	$40,440	50
64	Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers	$62,890	$50,330	60
65	Occupational Therapy Assistants	$62,830	$51,980	30
66	Postsecondary Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers	$61,520	$38,980	40
67	Physical Therapist Assistants	$61,310	$48,100	80
68	Respiratory Therapists	$61,270	$49,310	80
69	Loan Officers	$61,240	$32,460	180
70	Social and Community Service Managers	$60,950	$42,570	80
71	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$60,540	$39,560	550
72	Healthcare Social Workers	$60,300	$44,630	70
73	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$59,650	$44,340	180
74	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels	$59,380	$24,960	50
75	Postsecondary Vocational Education Teachers	$58,930	$37,550	190
76	First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers	$58,910	$46,710	70
77	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$58,600	$33,070	540
78	Instructional Coordinators	$57,760	$38,130	110
79	Compliance Officers	$57,380	$36,650	60
80	Buyers and Purchasing Agents	$57,030	$35,360	210
81	Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians	$57,030	$15,540	40
82	Postal Service Clerks	$56,200	$39,770	120
83	Civil Engineering Technicians	$55,330	$32,990	50
84	Wholesale and Manufacturing (Except Technical and Scientific Products) Sales Representatives	$54,290	$32,020	600
85	Construction and Building Inspectors	$53,800	$40,910	60
86	First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	$53,770	$42,240	110
87	First-Line Supervisors of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers	$53,640	$15,960	80
88	Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	$52,810	$37,080	110
89	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	$52,100	$34,960	160
90	Human Resources Specialists	$52,000	$36,580	270
91	Other Education, Training, and Library Workers	$51,880	$36,380	60
92	Postal Service Mail Carriers	$51,730	$39,640	320
93	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	$51,500	$38,960	60
94	Soil and Plant Scientists	$51,440	$32,400	30
95	Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	$51,420	$30,830	310
96	Environmental Scientists and Health Specialists	$51,190	$42,160	60
97	Adult Basic and Secondary Education and Literacy Teachers and Instructors	$51,170	$31,470	80
98	Chefs and Head Cooks	$50,750	$40,290	60
99	Fish and Game Wardens	$50,670	$41,310	30
100	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	$50,650	$42,390	50

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	All Other Physicians	$206,450
2	Chief Executives	$151,000
3	General Dentists	$129,840
4	Pharmacists	$127,410
5	Marketing Managers	$117,260
6	Nurse Practitioners	$100,020
7	Physician Assistants	$100,020
8	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay	$99,790
9	Commercial Pilots	$99,760
10	Financial Managers	$99,670

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Family Medicine Physicians	$207,370
2	Pharmacists	$146,520
3	Chief Executives	$129,910
4	Personal Financial Advisors	$119,010
5	Physician Assistants	$112,570
6	Nurse Practitioners	$104,460
7	Administrative Services and Facilities Managers	$103,640
8	Industrial Production Managers	$103,230
9	Medical and Health Services Managers	$101,570
10	Construction Managers	$98,350

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Pharmacists	$146,820
2	Chief Executives	$134,910
3	Industrial Production Managers	$105,190
4	Physician Assistants	$105,030
5	Construction Managers	$104,980
6	Medical and Health Services Managers	$99,600
7	Nurse Practitioners	$98,990
8	Physical Therapists	$94,220
9	Electrical Engineers	$93,290
10	Administrative Services and Facilities Managers	$92,590

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

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