Registered Nurses salary in Asheville, NC
Median pay for registered nurses in Asheville, NC: $79,580/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $59,270 – $110,840 · about 5,540 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$1,230 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Asheville
With Asheville's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $79,580 has the buying power of about $81,711 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $64,538 · median home $428,742 · median rent $1,708/mo.
How Asheville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Asheville, NC is 119th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Asheville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 148th.
The headline number flatters Asheville. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Asheville
A median home in Asheville, NC costs $428,742 — about 5.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,708/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Asheville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Asheville | Rent vs Asheville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +135% | 1.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +128% | 1.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +125% | 2.1× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +98% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Asheville | Rent vs Asheville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | $87,190 | +10% | 0.9× |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $83,020 | +4% | 0.9× |
| Raleigh, NC | $81,910 | +3% | 1× |
| Charlotte, NC | $81,190 | +2% | 1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Asheville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Mission Health Hospital · Healthcare
- Buncombe County Schools · Education
- Veterans Administration · Government
- City of Asheville · Government
Other jobs in Asheville
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.