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HomeSalary by stateNorth Carolina
State salary dataUpdated November 2026

Veterinarian salary in
North Carolina.

Veterinarians in North Carolina earn a median annual wage of $129,240 ($62.13/hr), based on real Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2,940 veterinarians working in the state. Pay varies significantly by metro area - Raleigh-Cary pays the most within North Carolina, at $130,350.

Median salary

$129,240

$62.13/hr

1% below US median

Low · 10th pct

$77,650

High · 90th pct

$209,340

Pay rank

#19of 48 states

Veterinarians

2,940

employed

Full wage range

What vets in North Carolina actually earn.

The salary ladder

Annual pay at each step of the scale in North Carolina

US median $130,100

US median
$78k$77,650
$98k$98,240
$129k$129,240Median
$165k$165,430
$209k$209,340

10th pct

10% earn less than $77,650

25th pct

25% earn less than $98,240

Median

Half earn more than $129,240

75th pct

25% earn more than $165,430

90th pct

10% earn more than $209,340

The middle half earn $98,240–$165,430

Top earners make 2.7× what entry-level vets earn

Median hourly$62.13/hr
Mean salary$136,200
Veterinarians employed2,940

How North Carolina compares.

Median annual salary for veterinarians, from Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Median annual salary
North Carolina$129,240
US median$130,100
Highest (California)$163,920
Lowest (South Dakota)$88,650

Highest-paying metro areas in North Carolina

Median annual salary · tap a metro for its full breakdown

  1. 1Raleigh–Cary$130,350
  2. 2Charlotte–Concord$129,080

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North Carolina salary,
answered.

What is the average veterinarian salary in North Carolina?+

According to BLS OEWS 2025 data, the median annual wage for veterinarians in North Carolina is $129,240 ($62.13/hour), with a mean of $136,200. The middle 50% earn between $98,240 and $165,430.

How does North Carolina compare to the national average?+

The national median veterinarian salary is $130,100 (BLS, May 2025). North Carolina's median of $129,240 is below that.

What is the highest-paying city for veterinarians in North Carolina?+

Among the metro areas BLS tracks in North Carolina, Raleigh-Cary has the highest reported median veterinarian salary at $130,350 per year. See the metro table above for the full breakdown.

How much do veterinarians make per hour in North Carolina?+

The median hourly rate works out to $62.13, based on a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS's own convention for converting between annual and hourly wage figures).

Is this North Carolina salary data real?+

Yes. The headline figures come directly from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (OEWS), the same government source used for official labor market data - not an estimate or a scrape of job postings. Any community breakdown shown is separate, anonymous, self-reported data from real veterinarians.

Writing about vet compensation?

Feel free to cite this data - here's a ready-made attribution you can paste directly into your article.

“The median veterinarian salary in North Carolina is $129,240 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).”

Figures are BLS median annual base wages and may not include bonuses, production pay, or benefits. Community breakdowns are separate, anonymous, self-reported submissions.

Compare other states

New Mexico$129,390New York$131,830North Dakota$102,180Ohio$125,060All states
National salary surveyEffective hourly rate calculatorVeterinary jobsHiring? Post a job free
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