Thinking about the military as a career option?  

Navigate a career pathway into the military by connecting to one of our regional recruiters for any branch

AIR FORCE Recruiter:  SSgt Adam Magers Email: adam.magers.2@us.af.mil 

ARMY Recruiter:  SFC Michael McFadden-Lewis Email: michael.j.aschemann.mil@army.mil 

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Recruiter:   TBD               Email:  

COAST GUARD Recruiter:  TBD Email: 

MARINES Recruiter:   SSgt. Matthew Kitzen         Email: Matthew.Kitzenabelson@marines.usmc.mil

NAVY Recruiter:  PO1 Brandon Tuzzo Email: brandon.m.tuzzo.mil@us.navy.mil

SPACE FORCE Recruiter:                                     See Air Force Recruiter

25 of the Highest Paying Jobs in North Carolina for 2025

The top jobs in North Carolina can pay up to $140,900 per year

You can find high paying jobs in North Carolina on ZipRecruiter in many industries, and matching a range of qualifications and experience levels. On this page, read about the top tier of commonly found positions in North Carolina by salary. Eight of these have upper-quadrant annual salaries over $71,054. If these careers are not the right fit for you, explore more jobs in North Carolina here.

High Paying North Carolina Jobs

• Drone Pilot
  Salary range: $90,900-$140,900 per year
  The primary responsibilities of a drone pilot are to control and maintain an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). You can find drone pilot positions with both the military and other governmental organizations, as well as private companies, such as agricultural operations, film and television production companies, surveyors and mapping specialists, and environmental scientists. As a pilot, you perform a variety of duties, such as flying reconnaissance and taking aerial photography and aerial videography. In the military context, drone pilots operate UAVs, which bomb targets from across the world.

• Nurse Practitioner
  Salary range: $98,200-$136,300 per year
  Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with additional responsibilities, including prescribing medication, examining patients, diagnosing illnesses, and providing treatment, much as physicians do. Nurse practitioners are educated and trained to provide health care services, such as the diagnosis and treatment of acute illness and chronic conditions.

• Telemedicine Nurse Practitioner
  Salary range: $98,200-$136,300 per year
  As a telemedicine nurse practitioner, your job is to provide remote treatment for patients through online consultation and telehealth services. Your primary role in this job is to provide advice and consultation, particularly as it relates to treatment options and whether or not a patient needs to visit a clinic or hospital. Telemedicine nurse practitioners often use webcams, chat systems, email, social media, and other forms of online communication to interact with patients. Like all healthcare jobs, you are also expected to maintain patient privacy and confidentiality, so there are some limits on the types of electronic devices you can use. Some telemedicine nurse practitioners work from home, but many work from a local healthcare facility instead.

• Pmhnp
  Salary range: $114,500-$122,700 per year
  As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, often shortened to PMHNP, your job is to help diagnose mental health conditions in a patient and prescribe the best course of treatment. As part of this, you may use multiple assessment exams to identify the condition, research treatment strategies, or talk with the patient to better understand their unique history and needs. Unlike most other mental health practitioners, you also perform physical assessments and diagnostic exams instead of focusing exclusively on the mind. PMHNPs may work in a clinic, but you can also find this job in hospitals and other advanced care facilities.

• State Government
  Salary range: $85,400-$120,400 per year
  State government jobs are positions in which you have an opportunity to contribute to the community and the public good, but you aren’t an elected official. While jobs like the governor and state representatives are important, those people couldn’t do their work without civil servants. State government jobs include secretaries, accountants, teachers, librarians, maintenance technicians, and public relations workers. Local government also hires people with the right qualifications to take on the responsibilities of maintaining state and local government programs. As a public servant, your job duties vary based on the department you choose.

• Helicopter Pilot
  Salary range: $81,800-$101,800 per year
  As a helicopter pilot, you fly a helicopter aircraft to transport passengers or cargo or gather information on the ground from a bird’s-eye view, like traffic data. Your job duties as a helicopter pilot include conducting pre-flight checks such as ensuring aircraft controls and instruments are working properly and checking weather forecasts for the flight path and then creating a flight plan. Your responsibilities are to communicate with dispatchers and air traffic controllers and to operate the helicopter properly, ensuring a safe flight.

• Respiratory Therapist
  Salary range: $57,300-$101,300 per year
  Respiratory therapists are medical workers and typically work in a hospital or similar healthcare facility setting. They care for patients with emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, chest trauma, and cardiac failure. When working with patients, they conduct an examination to gain an understanding of any existing breathing issues that the patient may have. This examination may be as simple as a conversation-style interview, or it may be slightly more in-depth with various diagnostic tests. Once they have an understanding of the potential respiratory issues or risks, the respiratory therapist works with a physician to develop a patient treatment plan. Similar to other medical professionals, respiratory therapists are expected to work with their patients throughout the entire treatment process: monitoring, recording, and evaluating their progress.

• Public Health
  Salary range: $55,000-$80,900 per year
  Public health encompasses the study of factors that influence people’s health and promote preventative care. Its research focuses on how to keep residents safe and healthy. The public health sector is comprised of many different roles, and includes doctors, nurses, researchers, lab technicians, social workers, administrators. Public relations and marketing professionals also work in public health to educate the public on new health care research and healthy lifestyle choices. The primary goal of all public health employees is to find the best ways to promote information that protects the wellbeing of the community-at-large.

• Wildlife Conservation
  Salary range: $42,300-$67,300 per year
  Wildlife conservation is the practice by which individuals and organizations work to protect the natural habitat of plants and animals, including both endangered and non-endangered species. There are many different methods of wildlife conservation and preservation, such as designating land that cannot be developed or exploited and educating the public about how they can help protect the natural environment. Wildlife conservation also involves working with lawmakers to establish new rules and regulations that prevent oil and gas companies and other natural resource extraction corporations from harming the climate.

• Teen Model
  Salary range: $47,300-$66,800 per year
  The job of a teen model is to promote clothing or accessories in advertising or fashion shows. Their responsibilities may include modeling items in photo shoots for catalogs or advertisements in other outlets. A teen model may showcase products for online stores or in retail stores. Some models participate in fashion shows where they present items on the runway or catwalk. It is common for a teen model to travel extensively for work, domestically or overseas. Successful models are often represented by an agency, although they still audition for each shoot or show by attending a casting call.

• Wildlife Biologist
  Salary range: $41,400-$63,200 per year
  Wildlife biology is the study of animals in their natural habitat. A wildlife biologist, also called a zoologist, conducts studies to understand animal populations in their natural habitat. They keep records, organize and present findings, and run experiments. Wildlife biologists may also work for governments or animal advocacy groups, making recommendations for policies and advocating for habitat protections. Wildlife biologists may get to interact with animals to identify their needs, so this is one of the top jobs for animal lovers.

• Firefighter
  Salary range: $41,400-$62,700 per year
  Firefighters respond to emergency fire calls. They monitor phones and radios for emergencies, drive fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, put out fires, and find and rescue victims in burning buildings or other emergency situations. Many Firefighters are also paramedics and may be called to assist on emergency medical calls.

• Lineman
  Salary range: $37,300-$59,100 per year
  A Lineman, also known as a line worker, is an electrician responsible for installing and repairing wire cables and electrical power wiring. As a Lineman, you climb telephone poles and work while hanging many feet above the ground. A Lineman also operates and repairs equipment to ensure telephones, internet, and other communication needs are met.

• Independent Courier
  Salary range: $34,100-$57,300 per year
  As an independent courier, your duties are to pick up, transport, and deliver documents, supplies, and packages. Some independent couriers make their deliveries via bike while other workers drive cars, vans, or delivery trucks. As an independent courier, you typically contract with your clients directly, rather than working through a courier service, although some couriers also find work through online services or job boards. To be an independent courier, you must have your own vehicle or another reliable method of transportation.

• Logging
  Salary range: $31,316-$54,514 per year
  As a logger, your job is to cut down trees and get the logs ready to transport. This frequently includes helping trim and delimb each fallen tree, determining which trees are suitable for use as timber, and doing other forestry work as needed. Logging often requires the use of specialized equipment and machinery, including cranes, boats, and chainsaws, and loggers usually take on several roles to get the job done. Some details of this job vary based on factors like where you work and what sort of wood you're cutting down. You are also responsible for ensuring forests are appropriately managed and cut in a way that guarantees the longevity of the area.

• Mortgage Field Inspector
  Salary range: $41,800-$53,600 per year
  A Mortgage Field Inspector conducts collateral inspections of mortgaged properties for financial institutions. As a Mortgage Field Inspector, your job duties include taking digital photos of houses, apartment buildings, and even construction sites to collect information. After the property is inspected, you prepare a report for the financial company describing the state of the property, such as its occupancy and whether it is in disrepair.

• Esthetician
  Salary range: $29,100-$50,900 per year
  Estheticians are licensed skin care specialists who work in salons, spas, and resorts. They provide facials, waxing, wraps, scrubs, and other skin and body treatments on clients. They may also recommend cleansers, creams, and other skin care products and provide advice on skin care. Some estheticians, called medical estheticians or paramedical estheticians, work in medical clinics. Estheticians must have a license to practice in nearly all states.

• Flight Attendant
  Salary range: $32,300-$45,400 per year
  Flight Attendants do more than serve meals and drinks to passengers. Before the aircraft takes off, flight attendants attend a pre-flight briefing to receive all vital information about the flight. They must check the food supply and emergency equipment to make sure amounts are sufficient and everything is in place. They then greet passengers as they enter the aircraft, ensure luggage is stowed properly, and make sure passengers are in the correct seats. During the flight, they instruct passengers on safety and serve refreshments. In the event of an emergency, flight attendants play a significant role in evacuating the plane and maintaining passenger safety.

• Cna
  Salary range: $30,900-$42,700 per year
  A CNA, or certified nursing assistant or certified nursing aide, is an assistant to RNs (registered nurses) and LPNs (licensed practical nurses) on the medical staff. CNAs to tend to the patients within their ward, completing tasks that the RNs and LPNs may not have the time to complete. In some cases, a CNA may be the medical attendant a patient interacts with most frequently. Daily duties for a CNA may include bathing and grooming patients, assisting patients with the intake of food or medicine, checking vital signs, and dressing wounds. A CNA ensures that all rooms are tidy and sanitized, bedpans are empty, and linens are fresh. Additionally, a CNA should be comfortable documenting their patients’ conditions and any changes that may have occurred to communicate this information to the assigned nurses or physicians for each case.

• Photographer
  Salary range: $29,100-$40,900 per year
  Professional photographers capture moments using cameras and other equipment. They often take pictures of people, but they also photograph outdoor locations, artwork, animals, and a wide range of other subjects. Photographers may take pictures for their own use, or they may be hired by individuals, groups, or companies. Before the photo shoot, professional photographers offer advice about locations, settings, and poses based on their expertise. Standard tools used by a photographer include a camera, tripod, different types of camera lenses, photo editing software, and backdrops. Professional photographers may work independently on a contract basis, or they may work for a company or agency as a staff photographer.

• Non Cdl Driving
  Salary range: $32,300-$40,000 per year
  CDL stands for Commercial Driver’s License. Non-CDL driving jobs are transportation positions for moving goods or people in a motor vehicle where the driver is not required to have a CDL. Non-CDL driving jobs include positions that drive vehicles under 8,000 pounds; this includes automobiles for delivering food and goods, as well as smaller trucks for carrying various items, such as large packages and mail. Most of these positions are within a local area. While a driver with a CDL has more professional options (such as commercial transportation jobs and driving larger vehicles), there are plenty of jobs available for people who do not have a CDL.

• House Sitter
  Salary range: $26,400-$35,900 per year
  A house sitter stays in or visits a home while the owners are away for an extended period. Some house sitting jobs can be for any amount of time, from one night to several months. Some house sitters may only visit the home in their care during the day to collect mail and ensure the house is in good order for the homeowner’s return. Others stay overnight at the property, watering plants, caring for pets, performing maintenance, and keeping the home in good order. A house sitting gig is a great way to make some extra income and can save you money if you need short-term housing. Professional house sitters may work through a company or as individual freelancers by privately responding to listings.

• Dog Sitter
  Salary range: $25,400-$35,900 per year
  A Dog Sitter takes care of a dog when its owner is away. The Dog Sitter schedules time for the dog to have food and exercise while adhering to all instructions given by the dog owner. Typical Dog Sitter duties include feeding the dog on schedule, taking it to the vet if it becomes ill, administering medications, and walking the dog regularly. If the Dog Sitter works for a pet sitter company, they may also handle client scheduling.

• Teenage Babysitter
  Salary range: $20,491-$32,089 per year
  As a teenage babysitter, your duties are to take care of younger children while their parents or guardians are not home. Some babysitters work primarily in their client’s home, watching the kids when the parents go out to dinner or have obligations at night, while others babysit kids both in their homes and outside. In the latter role, your responsibilities may include taking the kids to the park, after-school activities, or play dates with other children. As a teen babysitter, you work primarily after school or in the evening. You can work on both school nights and weekends. If you are under 16 years old, you typically are not allowed to babysit during school hours.

• Storm Cleanup
  Salary range: $19,331-$27,450 per year
  Storm cleanup jobs involve repairing and managing the aftermath of a hurricane, tornado, flood, or other weather-related damage to structures and infrastructure. Storm cleanup requires a wide range of workers, including physical laborers who clear out debris, coordinators and contractors who work with local and state governments to manage and carry out their disaster relief and recovery plans, and insurance analysts and other assessors who inspect the damage. Your duties differ depending on the position, but you must be able to travel to the disaster site for work.

Source:  ZipRecruiter

Chances are that you’ve started thinking about what your career options might be for the future. The trouble is, that with so many options out there, how do you know what career might best be for you? By following this three step structure, you’ll have a better understanding of what career options you have as a teenager, how to explore them further and how to make an actionable plan to pursue your chosen career.

Reflect – what type of career would suit you?

'The first step to career planning is reflecting on your options'

The first step towards finding a fulfilling career is to think about the type of career that you’d enjoy doing. It’s also important to consider what you think a ‘good’ career for you actually means. For some people, a fulfilling career might mean one that pays well, whereas others might see a good career as one that allows you to manage your own workload.

Values

To help you determine what a fulfilling career looks like to you, try arranging the following statements in order of how important they are to you.

• A job with a high paying salary is important to me

• I value having the freedom to work using my own initiative

• I enjoy being part of a team and working with other people towards a common goal

• I take direction well and I prefer to follow instructions from others

• I want to be my own boss

Consider the order in which you’ve placed these statements. The ones that you’ve placed at the top of your list are most likely the ones that you value the most when thinking about careers. Try to bear values in mind when carrying out your research as they can impact what type of career you might want to pursue.

Interests

How do you spend your time after school and at the weekends? Do you have a particular hobby that you enjoy? Do you play any sports? Do you spend most of your time with friends on in your own company?

Your personal interests can be a good starting point for reflecting on possible career options. One of the things that the survey we mentioned earlier found was that people 40% of people end up leaving their job because they don’t want to regret spending their career working in the wrong industry for them.

If you’re able to find a career working in an industry that you have a genuine passion for, then you’ll get more job satisfaction and will generally be happier with your career choices.

Skills

What are you good at? Do you have a talent for writing? Are you good with numbers? Maybe you can play a mean guitar solo or have an artistic flair?

Whereas every skill can be developed, most of us have one or two that just seem to come naturally to us. When it comes to reflecting on your career options, it can help to think about what skills you already have.

If you’re a people person and are good at talking people round then perhaps a career in sales or PR would be good for you? Or if you work well with numbers, then perhaps you should look at a career in finance or management?

Qualities

Are you a naturally outgoing person, or are you more reserved? Do you prefer to think things through logically or trust your instincts?

Taking the time to think about your personal qualities can help ensure that you choose a career that’s suited to your personality. For example, some careers are known for being high-pressured and busy, whereas others are known for being more creative, requiring you to think on your feet.

Research – explore what career options are out there

‘Looking into specific industries can be a good starting point for your career research’

Make a list of all the careers that you thought about when reflecting on your options. The next step is to dig a little deeper into each of these career areas and find out what qualifications and experience you’ll need to gain in order to work in these areas.

A good place to start researching specific careers is the CFNC, NCCareers or MyClarity. 

When exploring specific careers as a teenager, there are some essential pieces of information that you need to know. Use the following list as a checklist for your research to make sure that you’ve fully explored what each specific career requires:

• What qualifications do I need for this type of career?

• Do I need any particular skills to work in this industry?

• What personal qualities would this job require me to have?

• What is a typical salary in this career?

• Is this a popular industry/is competition for jobs high?

• Is there a specific location for this career (some jobs are more in demand in certain areas)

Plan – mapping out your career path

‘The path to a successful career starts with a plan’

Once you have the lowdown on your career options, the next step is to create a plan outlining how you’ll pursue your chosen path. At this stage, you may want to consider keeping your options open (as much as possible) as even the best laid plans sometimes take a different turn.

First steps after school

Are you able to apply for jobs straight after school or do you need more qualifications and training? Planning what you need to do ahead of time will help you prepare for making the transition from leaving school to actively pursuing your career.

Further training and qualifications

Does your career require you to have further qualifications or training? If you’ve just completed your GCSEs and the jobs that you’re interested in require you to have A-Levels, then you know that you should be looking into what A-Levels will be the most useful for you in the future.

If the careers that you’re considering need you to have a degree, then the A-Levels that you choose will impact what university courses you’re able to apply for, so you should start to looking into your A-Level options as early as possible.

You should also consider alternative routes into your career. For example, can you secure a job that typically requires a degree by any other means? Like an apprenticeship or work based learning program, for example? Knowing what your alternatives are can help you keep your options open when pursuing your chosen career path.

Gaining experience

Depending on what type of jobs you’re considering, some employers value experience more than qualifications. If the job that you’re looking at doesn’t have a set path to entry, then you may want to consider gaining experience in your chosen field. Careers like journalism, photography and media don’t always require you to have specific qualifications, so taking on some credentialing may be the best route for you to go down.

(Source: Succesatschool.org) 

COA-Dare Campus offers a variety of Career & Technical Courses through Dual Enrollment.  HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Criminal Justice, Welding, Digital Marketing, and Automotive Tech are among the campus programs students can take full advantage of starting as early as sophomore year.