Career Atlas USA

Careers in Asheville, NC

Part of North Carolina.

Asheville, NC’s regional price level is below the national average (index 96.506, where 100 = U.S. average, 2024 BEA data).

Unemployment rate: 3.2% · 196,561 people employed (2026-06, BLS LAUS, not seasonally adjusted).

Highest-Paying Careers

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  1. 1Physicians, All Other$360,010
  2. 2Chief Executives$270,520
  3. 3General Internal Medicine Physicians$225,830
  4. 4Nurse Anesthetists$223,630
  5. 5Family Medicine Physicians$212,710

Largest Occupations

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  1. 1Retail Salespersons5,570 employed
  2. 2Registered Nurses4,680 employed
  3. 3Cashiers4,240 employed
  4. 4Stockers and Order Fillers3,980 employed
  5. 5Fast Food and Counter Workers3,850 employed

Highest Concentration

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  1. 1Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators6.14× national avg
  2. 2Helpers--Electricians4.62× national avg
  3. 3General Internal Medicine Physicians4.31× national avg
  4. 4Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers4.21× national avg
  5. 5Pipelayers4.07× national avg

Best Purchasing Power

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cost-of-living adjusted

  1. 1Physicians, All Other$373,044
  2. 2Chief Executives$280,314
  3. 3General Internal Medicine Physicians$234,006
  4. 4Nurse Anesthetists$231,727
  5. 5Family Medicine Physicians$220,411

Sources

Wage and employment data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities. Unemployment rate: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Opportunity Score isn’t available at the metro level yet — see North Carolina state page.