How Much Do Travel Nurses Make in North Carolina? 2026 Pay by Specialty and City
By CircleRN Team | Published 2026-11-03 | 8 min read
Travel nurses in North Carolina are offered a median of $2,097 a week across 128 contracts (November 2026), 39th of 41 states and DC. Pay by specialty and city, staff RN wages, FY2027 stipend limits, license and tax.
Travel nurses in North Carolina are offered a median of $2,097 a week across 128 open contracts, measured November 2, 2026, against $2,411 nationally. Half of North Carolina contracts fall between $1,971 and $2,357. That ranks it 39th of the 41 states, plus DC, with at least 30 open contracts, and every major specialty pays less there than its national median. Staff nurses in North Carolina also earn well below the national median, though, so a travel contract pays about 29 percent more than a typical local staff job, about the same premium as nationally.
These are advertised weekly totals before tax, which usually include tax-free stipends, and for most postings they are the top of an advertised range. They are not take-home pay. Live figures are on the North Carolina travel nursing page.
How much do travel nurses make in North Carolina?
The median advertised weekly total on 128 open travel nursing contracts in North Carolina is $2,097, measured November 2, 2026. The middle half runs from $1,971 to $2,357 a week. Over a 26-week year of assignments the median comes to about $54,500, or about $109,000 for 52 weeks with no gaps.
The median has held steady: on October 1, 2026 it was $2,085 across 117 contracts. Against the same specialties nationally, though, it slipped from 8 to 11 percent below.
How does North Carolina travel nurse pay compare with other states?
It is near the bottom. Of the 41 states, plus DC, with at least 30 open contracts on November 2, 2026, North Carolina's $2,097 median ranks 39th. The neighbors split: Virginia pays a median of $2,347 and Tennessee $2,232, while South Carolina, at $2,046, is lower still.
A state's median partly reflects which specialties it is hiring, so we also compare each contract with the national median for its own specialty. On that measure North Carolina pays about 11 percent below the national median for the same work. Prices in the state run about 6 percent below the national average (BEA Regional Price Parity), which leaves it about 6 percent behind after prices. All states are ranked three ways in highest-paying states for travel nurses.
Which nursing specialties pay the most in North Carolina?
Every specialty with at least five open contracts pays less in North Carolina than its national median, by 7 to 14 percent:
| Specialty | NC median a week | National median | Gap | NC contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating room | $2,402 | $2,653 | -9% | 5 |
| Labor and delivery | $2,342 | $2,725 | -14% | 8 |
| Telemetry | $2,152 | $2,416 | -11% | 9 |
| PCU | $2,138 | $2,294 | -7% | 18 |
| ICU | $2,094 | $2,427 | -14% | 9 |
| ER | $2,081 | $2,357 | -12% | 24 |
| Med-Surg | $2,033 | $2,223 | -9% | 30 |
Operating room and labor and delivery pay the most of these seven, and both rank near the top nationally. Med-Surg and ER have the most openings. Several rows rest on fewer than ten contracts, so a few postings can move them; the linked pages carry today's figures. Our specialty pay guide compares specialties nationally.
Which North Carolina cities pay travel nurses the most?
Of the cities with at least ten priced nursing contracts on November 2, 2026:
- Greenville: $2,359 a week across 14 contracts, most at ECU Health Medical Center
- Wilmington: $2,038 across 21, almost all at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, the largest single source of openings in the state
- Winston-Salem: $2,032 across 13, mostly at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
Greensboro (mostly Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital) and Charlotte also have openings, but too few priced nursing contracts for a median. Raleigh had none open that day. The hiring is concentrated in a handful of large hospitals, so one system's staffing decisions move a city's figures.
How much do staff nurses make in North Carolina?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median registered nurse wage in North Carolina at $84,350 a year, or $40.56 an hour, across 111,120 employed RNs (May 2025). That is about 14 percent below the national median of $97,550. By metro area:
- Charlotte metro (including the South Carolina side): $90,620
- Raleigh metro: $84,830
- Greenville metro: $81,670
- Wilmington metro: $80,970
Spread over 52 weeks, the state's staff median is about $1,622 a week, and the $2,097 travel median is about 29 percent more. Nationally the same comparison gives about 29 percent. So North Carolina travel pay is low against other states but not against local staff jobs. The comparison is not like for like: the travel figure is gross and usually includes tax-free stipends, but it also has to cover a second home and the weeks between contracts. Our travel versus staff pay guide covers those terms.
What are the tax-free stipend limits in North Carolina?
The tax-free part of a travel package is capped by the federal GSA per diem rate for where you work: daily lodging plus meals, times seven. The FY2027 rates took effect October 1, 2026:
| Area (county) | Lodging a night | Meals a day | Weekly ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills (Dare) | $120 to $267, highest Jun to Aug | $74 | $1,358 to $2,387 |
| Morehead City, Atlantic Beach (Carteret) | $123 to $178, highest May to Aug | $74 | $1,379 to $1,764 |
| Wilmington (New Hanover) | $113 to $170, highest Jun to Jul | $74 | $1,309 to $1,708 |
| Chapel Hill (Orange) | $153 | $80 | $1,631 |
| Asheville (Buncombe) | $125; $145 Oct to Dec | $80 | $1,435 to $1,575 |
| Charlotte (Mecklenburg) | $143 | $80 | $1,561 |
| Raleigh (Wake) | $142 | $74 | $1,512 |
| Greensboro (Guilford) | $116; $130 Apr to Oct | $74 | $1,330 to $1,428 |
| Durham (Durham) | $124 | $74 | $1,386 |
| Fayetteville (Cumberland) | $129 | $68 | $1,379 |
| Rest of North Carolina | $113 | $68 | $1,267 |
Greenville and Winston-Salem, two of the three biggest hiring cities, are on the standard $1,267 rate. Wilmington's ceiling swings by about $400 a week between winter and summer, so the same offer can be structured differently depending on start date. These are ceilings, not what an agency pays. Every state's limits are in travel nurse stipends by state, and the stipend rules explain who qualifies.
Do you need a North Carolina nursing license to travel there?
Not if you hold a multistate license. North Carolina is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate RN license issued by your home compact state lets you work there. If your primary state of residence is outside the compact, for example California, New York or Illinois, you need a North Carolina license by endorsement first. The license compact checker shows which kind you hold.
North Carolina taxes income earned in the state at a flat 3.99 percent for 2026, down from 4.25 percent in 2025. It applies to the taxable wage part of your package, not to stipends that qualify as tax-free, and your home state may give you a credit for it.
What does housing cost for a travel nurse in North Carolina?
On November 2, 2026 there were 305 active rentals in North Carolina on CircleRN, and the median one-bedroom was $1,200 a month. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom, taken as a median across 191 North Carolina cities, is $1,060. A month in a one-bedroom costs about one week of a stipend paid at the $1,267 standard ceiling.
Browse travel nurse housing in North Carolina, or go straight to Wilmington, Greenville or Charlotte.
Bottom Line
Travel nurses in North Carolina are offered a median of $2,097 a week across 128 contracts, 39th of 41 states and DC, and about 11 percent below the national median for the same specialties. Staff RNs there earn about 14 percent below the national median, so travel still pays about 29 percent more than a local staff job. Greenville pays the most of the large hiring cities, and Wilmington has the most openings. North Carolina is a compact state with a 3.99 percent income tax, and its tax-free stipend ceiling runs from $1,267 a week on the standard rate to $1,631 in Chapel Hill, and more on the coast in summer.
Ready to look? See open North Carolina travel nursing jobs, or compare it with travel nurse pay in South Carolina and Georgia.
Sources
- CircleRN job postings, measured November 2, 2026: 128 open, priced travel nursing contracts in North Carolina, 5,347 nationally; October 1, 2026 comparison from our state ranking. Advertised weekly totals before tax, usually including stipends; for most postings the top of an advertised range. Not take-home pay.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, registered nurses (29-1141), May 2025: North Carolina; Charlotte, Raleigh, Greenville and Wilmington metro areas; national
- U.S. General Services Administration, per diem rates, North Carolina, fiscal year 2027
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024)
- North Carolina Department of Revenue, tax rate schedules (3.99 percent for tax years after 2025)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (FY2025)