Home / Wages / Durham-Chapel Hill Durham-Chapel Hill salaries The median worker in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area earned $59,740 a year in 2024, about $28.72 an hour. That ranks #14 of the 391 metro areas published here, 20.7% above the national median.
North Carolina
Median pay $59,740 $28.72 per hour
Vs national +20.7% U.S. $49,500
Workers 342,530 wage and salary
Metro rank #14 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Durham-Chapel Hill pays 27.2% more than North Carolina as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Microbiologists 11.43× 500 $90,790 Biological Scientists, All Other 10.62× 1,410 $96,780 Natural Sciences Managers 10.15× 2,270 $171,390 Statisticians 9.78× 650 $115,420 Chemists 8.03× 1,490 $78,240 Biological Technicians 7.32× 1,240 $41,060 Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 6.98× 570 $84,570 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists 4.19× 1,450 $104,300 Maintenance Workers, Machinery 4.03× 510 $60,960 Database Architects 3.47× 500 $130,560 Computer Network Support Specialists 3.24× 1,050 $114,630 Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians 3.12× 2,380 $61,660
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Durham-Chapel Hill Occupation Median Hourly Employed Dentists, General $202,400 $97.31 320 Computer Network Architects $172,280 $82.83 820 Sales Managers $172,010 $82.70 1,360 Natural Sciences Managers $171,390 $82.40 2,270 Computer and Information Systems Managers $169,380 $81.43 3,650 Architectural and Engineering Managers $165,760 $79.69 750 Computer Hardware Engineers $164,640 $79.16 360 Marketing Managers $164,350 $79.02 1,330 Financial Managers $161,950 $77.86 1,710 Human Resources Managers $151,180 $72.68 680 Purchasing Managers $144,850 $69.64 310 Managers, All Other $139,110 $66.88 2,370 Pharmacists $135,970 $65.37 1,120 Software Developers $131,980 $63.45 8,610 Industrial Production Managers $131,560 $63.25 650 Database Architects $130,560 $62.77 500 Medical and Health Services Managers $130,300 $62.65 1,830 Training and Development Managers $128,640 $61.85 200 Nurse Practitioners $127,540 $61.32 1,400 Information Security Analysts $125,750 $60.46 680 Physician Assistants $125,210 $60.20 810 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $123,840 $59.54 450 Fundraising Managers $123,830 $59.53 210 Lawyers $123,230 $59.25 1,340 Computer Occupations, All Other $121,140 $58.24 1,950 General and Operations Managers $120,240 $57.81 4,380 Construction Managers $119,470 $57.44 710 Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other $115,650 $55.60 330 Statisticians $115,420 $55.49 650 Computer Network Support Specialists $114,630 $55.11 1,050 Computer Programmers $113,720 $54.67 550 Computer Systems Analysts $112,820 $54.24 3,050 Facilities Managers $112,300 $53.99 400 Electrical Engineers $112,090 $53.89 840 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $111,470 $53.59 580 Project Management Specialists $110,000 $52.88 3,320 Life Scientists, All Other $109,540 $52.66 370 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $108,490 $52.16 1,180 Engineers, All Other $107,890 $51.87 430 Web and Digital Interface Designers $106,900 $51.39 430 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $106,870 n/a 330 Administrative Services Managers $104,980 $50.47 980 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $104,300 $50.15 1,450 Industrial Engineers $104,230 $50.11 1,110 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $104,210 $50.10 1,790 Database Administrators $103,420 $49.72 230 Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $103,270 $49.65 270 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $102,660 $49.36 890 Management Analysts $101,810 $48.95 1,600 Mechanical Engineers $101,560 $48.83 660 Technical Writers $100,660 $48.40 300 Financial and Investment Analysts $99,500 $47.84 910 Dental Hygienists $98,120 $47.17 420 Biological Scientists, All Other $96,780 $46.53 1,410 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $96,770 $46.52 220 Physical Therapists $96,630 $46.46 690 Data Scientists $93,110 $44.76 1,540 Civil Engineers $92,670 $44.56 690 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $92,110 $44.29 2,760 Microbiologists $90,790 $43.65 500
Where most people work Largest occupations in Durham-Chapel Hill by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Software Developers 8,610 $131,980 $63.45 Retail Salespersons 5,630 $31,220 $15.01 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 5,390 $45,500 $21.88 Customer Service Representatives 5,230 $46,260 $22.24 Cashiers 5,150 $29,070 $13.98 Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,980 $29,580 $14.22 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 4,980 $36,450 $17.53 Cooks, Fast Food 4,440 $28,760 $13.83 Nursing Assistants 4,410 $38,710 $18.61 General and Operations Managers 4,380 $120,240 $57.81 Office Clerks, General 4,170 $46,210 $22.22 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3,920 $42,040 $20.21 Stockers and Order Fillers 3,780 $36,130 $17.37 Computer and Information Systems Managers 3,650 $169,380 $81.43 Waiters and Waitresses 3,650 $29,780 $14.32 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3,640 $35,660 $17.14 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 3,500 $47,130 $22.66 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 3,430 $81,210 $39.04 Project Management Specialists 3,320 $110,000 $52.88 Accountants and Auditors 3,150 $83,990 $40.38
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other North Carolina metro areas Raleigh-Cary 723,590 workers $49,560 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia 1,340,800 workers $48,880 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 754,860 workers $48,430 Winston-Salem 273,340 workers $45,050 Asheville 187,430 workers $44,990 Greenville 81,410 workers $44,980 Durham-Chapel Hill pay: common questions What is the average salary in Durham-Chapel Hill? The median across all occupations is $59,740 , or $28.72 an hour, covering 342,530 wage and salary workers. The mean is $78,130, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Durham-Chapel Hill pay more than the rest of North Carolina? Yes. The metro median of $59,740 is 27.2% above the North Carolina median of $46,950. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Durham-Chapel Hill? Dentists, General ($202,400), Computer Network Architects ($172,280), Sales Managers ($172,010). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Durham-Chapel Hill unusually full of? Microbiologists, at 11.43× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.