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What to Pay a Registered Nurse in Raleigh, NC (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$82,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$74K–$94K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.0%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~24
Raleigh metro average
To hire a Registered Nurse in Raleigh at market, plan on a base salary range of $74,000 to $94,000, with $82,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 24 days, expect to lead at $94K–$108K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. North Carolina does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your RN pay range in Raleigh

Three pay positions, modeled against current Raleigh market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$66K–$74K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Raleigh average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$78.8K–$86.8K
Default for most Raleigh employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~24 days. A range width of ~30% (min $74,000 to max $94,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$89.2K–$108K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

RN salary percentile distribution in Raleigh, NC

Where the Raleigh market actually sits for RN base pay.

10th $66K
25th $74K
Median $82K
75th $94K
90th $108K

Most Raleigh employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($82,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $74,000 and a max of $94,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

North Carolina pay transparency compliance for RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a RN in North Carolina.

Not required statewide. North Carolina has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a RN role in Raleigh, a compliant good-faith range looks like $74,000 to $94,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $74,000–$94,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top RN employers in Raleigh — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring RNs in the Raleigh metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Duke Health (Raleigh) Academic medical center system $84K–$108K Common ($8K–$15K)
WakeMed Health system $80K–$104K Very common ($10K–$18K)
UNC Rex Healthcare Academic medical center system $82K–$106K Common ($8K–$15K)
Duke Raleigh Hospital Hospital $80K–$104K Common ($8K–$15K)
Novant Health Rex Health system $78K–$102K Common ($8K–$15K)

RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Raleigh

How hard is it to fill a RN role in Raleigh.

~24
Avg Days to Fill
~1,400
Active Postings
~15,800
Raleigh RN Workforce
Moderate
Supply : Demand

Raleigh RN market driven by Duke Health (Raleigh), WakeMed, and UNC Rex Healthcare.

Skill premiums RN candidates command in Raleigh, NC

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN +8–12% Very high
CEN +7–11% Very high
CNOR +8–12% Very high
BSN (vs ADN) +5–8% Standard at Duke/UNC

RN total compensation in Raleigh — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for RNs in Raleigh. "Prevalence" reflects share of Raleigh disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Raleigh Postings
Base salary $82,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +12–18% premium ~88%
Sign-on bonus $8,000–$18,000 ~72%
Certification pay +5–12% premium ~56%
Tuition reimbursement $3,000–$5,000/yr ~62%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$102K–$125K —

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

RN pay by setting in Raleigh — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the RN range splits by employer type in the Raleigh metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Acute-care hospital (med-surg) $78,000 $70K–$90K Moderate
ICU / Critical care $94,000 $84K–$108K Very high
Emergency department $92,000 $82K–$106K Very high
OR / Perioperative $94,000 $84K–$108K High
Ambulatory / clinic $68,000 $62K–$78K Moderate

RN salary in Raleigh vs. other North Carolina and nearby metros

What you'd pay if you hired in a nearby metro instead.

Location Median Base vs. Raleigh Hiring Difficulty
Raleigh–Cary, NC $82,000 — Moderate
Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC-SC $84,000 +2.4% Moderate
Richmond, VA $78,000 −4.9% Moderate
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, GA $86,000 +4.9% Above national avg
North Carolina statewide $78,000 −4.9% —
U.S. national $93,600 — —

FAQ: hiring a Registered Nurse in Raleigh, NC

Market median is $82,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $82,000 — typically $74,000 to $94,000. To lead the market, plan on $94K–$108K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in North Carolina. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $74,000–$94,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$73,000 falls below the Raleigh market median of $82,000 — roughly at the 10th–25th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 72% of Raleigh RN postings include a sign-on bonus. WakeMed leads with $10K–$18K offers. Duke and UNC Rex pay top-of-market base.
Average fill time is approximately 24 days in the Raleigh metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($94K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($74K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Raleigh-metro posting volume: Duke Health (Raleigh), WakeMed, UNC Rex Healthcare, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Novant Health Rex lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for RN in Raleigh — for example, $74,000 to $94,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. North Carolina has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related RN pay benchmarks — North Carolina metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
RN pay benchmark — Charlotte, NC → RN pay benchmark — Richmond, VA → RN pay benchmark — Atlanta, GA → All RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Raleigh
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Raleigh → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Raleigh → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.