New grad RN jobs and nurse residency programs in North Carolina
North Carolina employs 111,120 registered nurses, and half of them earn more than $84,350 a year, $13,200 below the national median of $97,550. We track 52 new-grad RN programs at North Carolina hospitals, of which 37 were taking applications on Oct 29, 2026.
- RNs employed
- 111,120
- Median RN pay
- $84,350
- 25th percentile
- $37.87/hr
- Programs we track
- 52
- Open on Oct 29, 2026
- 37
- In the compact
- Yes
- NCLEX pass rate, 2025
- 89.7%
- Work before the NCLEX
- No
Every North Carolina program we track is listed in the Vibe Nursing app.
What new grad nurses earn in North Carolina
A quarter of North Carolina RNs earn less than $37.87 an hour ($78,770 a year) and half earn more than $40.56. First-year offers tend to sit near the lower figure, since hospital pay scales usually rise with experience.
That puts North Carolina 33rd of the 50 states and DC for median RN pay.
Pay is bunched together in North Carolina: only $2.69 an hour separates the 25th percentile from the median, a narrower gap than in most states.
| Metro area | RNs employed | Median pay | 25th percentile, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 27,010 | $90,620 | $39.02 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 16,870 | $89,450 | $37.13 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 12,780 | $84,830 | $37.71 |
Where the RN jobs are
The largest RN job market touching North Carolina is the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia area, with 27,010 RNs; that count includes nurses in South Carolina.
When people search for new grad RN jobs in North Carolina, the place they name most often is Charlotte.
Getting licensed in North Carolina
The North Carolina Board of Nursing licenses RNs in North Carolina.
North Carolina is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If North Carolina is your primary state of residence, the license you earn after the NCLEX can be multistate, valid in every compact state. Nurses who live in another compact state can work in North Carolina on their home state's multistate license.
Every one of its neighboring states is in the compact too, so one license covers the whole region.
Working before you pass the NCLEX in North Carolina
No. North Carolina's temporary license is now only for nurses already licensed in another state or country who apply without the exam; the other parts of that law were repealed in 2019. A new graduate waits for an RN license.
Source: North Carolina General Statutes, sections 90-171.32 and 90-171.33, read October 2026.
Of its neighboring states, South Carolina and Virginia do let new graduates work on a permit before passing. See every state's rule.
NCLEX pass rate in North Carolina
4,696 of the 5,236 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates who took the NCLEX-RN for North Carolina in 2025 passed: 89.7%, 3.0 points above the national rate of 86.7%.
With 52 new-grad programs on our list, that is about 101 new test takers for each one, near the national figure of about 114.
The exam is the same everywhere; the rate tells you about the graduates who tested here, not about your own chances. See pass rates in every state.
North Carolina and its neighboring states
Among its neighboring states, Virginia pays RNs the most, a median of $93,600. Georgia has the most new-grad programs on our list (59).
| State | Programs we track | Median RN pay | In the compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 52 | $84,350 | Yes |
| Georgia | 59 | $93,550 | Yes |
| Tennessee | 31 | $81,500 | Yes |
| Virginia | 30 | $93,600 | Yes |
| South Carolina | 23 | $82,360 | Yes |
Questions about North Carolina
How much do new grad nurses make in North Carolina?
The BLS does not separate new graduates. For all North Carolina RNs, the 25th percentile is $37.87 an hour and the median $40.56 (May 2025); first-year offers usually sit nearer $37.87.
How many nurse residency programs are in North Carolina?
Vibe Nursing tracks 52 new-grad programs at North Carolina hospitals: nurse residencies, and hospitals that hire new grads straight into RN jobs. On Oct 29, 2026, 37 were taking applications.
Can I work in North Carolina with a compact license?
Yes. North Carolina is a compact state, so a multistate license from your home compact state is valid here.
Can new grads work before passing the NCLEX in North Carolina?
No. North Carolina's temporary license is now only for nurses already licensed in another state or country who apply without the exam; the other parts of that law were repealed in 2019. A new graduate waits for an RN license.
What is the NCLEX pass rate in North Carolina?
89.7% in 2025: 4,696 of 5,236 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for North Carolina (NCSBN). The national rate was 86.7%.
What do RNs earn in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia area?
The median is $90,620 a year, and a quarter of RNs there earn under $39.02 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The area employs 27,010 RNs.
Sources
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all registered nurses.
- Board: NCSBN directory. Compact: nursecompact.com. Both read October 2026.
- Working before the NCLEX: North Carolina General Statutes, sections 90-171.32 and 90-171.33, read October 2026.
- NCLEX: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Program counts: Vibe Nursing, Oct 29, 2026 (how we count).