What the data says about registered nurse pay in Raleigh
Here is how that number compares with the rest of the United States, with NC, and with other jobs in Raleigh.
Raleigh vs the national and NC picture
Directly above Raleigh is Miami (US$91,380); directly below is Jacksonville (US$83,520). The full range runs from US$83,520 in Jacksonville to US$216,740 in San Jose.
No other NC metro has observed registered nurse percentiles here, so Raleigh is judged against the 21-metro national list instead.
Cost of living and take-home in Raleigh
Living costs are close to the baseline (COL index 100), so the median's buying power, about US$84,800, is near its face value.
Its place holds after a cost-of-living adjustment — 20th of 21 either way.
Take-home on the median comes to roughly US$6,200 monthly (12% effective tax in our simplified model). Rent for a modeled 1-bedroom is 27% of it, and the single-adult budget ends about US$2,750 in the black.
Raleigh vs similar-cost metros
A registered nurse moving from Raleigh to New York (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 41% to US$119,720, with US$2,270 more left over monthly in our model.
A registered nurse moving from Raleigh to Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 60% to US$135,560, with US$3,280 more left over monthly in our model.
Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$100,490, 18% more than Raleigh; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,020 higher.
Other Raleigh jobs compared with registered nurse
Software Engineer is the best-paid tracked role in Raleigh at US$132,770; registered nurse comes 7th of 9.
Closest neighbours in the Raleigh list: Financial Analyst at US$99,200 (+17%) and Frontend Developer at US$82,250 (-3%).
How Raleigh ranks at the low and high end
Starting pay holds up better than senior pay here. The 10th percentile places 18th nationally among observed metros; the 90th places 20th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$235,190 at the 90th percentile, +113% against Raleigh.
The registered nurse pay range in Raleigh
From the 10th percentile (US$72,460) to the 90th (US$110,220) is only 1.5×, a narrower spread than many roles.