The highest-paying jobs in Raleigh include a range of industries, including healthcare, technology, and finance. If you’re looking for a high-paying career in the Raleigh area, this list will help you narrow down your search to the best-paid professions available.
We cover the 21 highest-paying jobs in Raleigh in 2024 using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Most of the high-paying positions in Raleigh require extensive experience, but there are also some well-paid entry-level roles for job seekers with the right educational background.
Overall, the highest-paying job in Raleigh is Physician, with an average annual salary of $280,855 and an entry-level salary of $145,000.
Whether you’re considering a career change, thinking about moving to Raleigh, or a recent graduate planning for your future, this guide to the highest-paying jobs and best-paid industries in Raleigh can help you figure out your next move.
Here’s a quick look at the top 10 highest-paying jobs in Raleigh, North Carolina:
Detailed list of highest paying jobs in Raleigh
| Rank | Job Title | Average Salary | Entry Level Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physician | $280,855 | $145,000 |
| 2 | Hospitalist Physician | $267,699 | $186,000 |
| 3 | Anesthesiology Resident | $262,183 | $119,000 |
| 4 | Outpatient Psychiatrist | $233,401 | $148,000 |
| 5 | Medical Consultant | $222,340 | $126,000 |
| 6 | Medical Director | $220,611 | $141,000 |
| 7 | Vascular Surgeon | $219,082 | $118,000 |
| 8 | Executive Vice President | $217,771 | $119,000 |
| 9 | General Surgery Physician Assistant | $208,065 | $110,000 |
| 10 | Psychiatrist | $207,432 | $130,000 |
| 11 | Radiology Resident | $206,452 | $91,000 |
| 12 | Internal Medicine Physician | $199,054 | $123,000 |
| 13 | Family Practice Physician | $189,888 | $118,000 |
| 14 | Ophthalmologist | $188,117 | $108,000 |
| 15 | Operator And Truck Driver | $184,878 | $92,000 |
| 16 | President | $180,355 | $105,000 |
| 17 | Owner/Operator | $167,636 | $107,000 |
| 18 | Professor | $167,389 | $93,000 |
| 19 | Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist | $167,339 | $102,000 |
| 20 | Anesthesiologist Assistant | $167,292 | $80,000 |
| 21 | General Surgeon | $165,384 | $89,000 |
How we determined the highest paid jobs in Raleigh for 2024
To figure out the highest-paying jobs in Raleigh, we looked at the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and others.
Zippia’s data science team then supplements that data by continuously scanning through millions of job postings each day to find published salaries. We match these published salaries to the companies, locations, and job titles in other datasets.
Finally, we calculate a weighted average of these inputs to produce an estimated salary for the particular job title in Raleigh.
In total, the team looked at the salary data set for all over 1,000 job titles in Raleigh to identify the jobs that get paid the most.
Editor’s Note: Article updated for 2024. This is our eighth time ranking the highest paying jobs in Raleigh.

