North CarolinaCOL index: 100
Salaries in Durham, NC
Durham, North Carolina offers career opportunities with 4.75% state income tax. Browse salary data for every major occupation below — all figures are Durham-specific, updated quarterly from BLS and H-1B disclosures.
Compare Durham COL →Population
278,993
COL index
100 / 100
Avg 1BR rent
$1,500/mo
State income tax
4.75%
Technology salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $95K | $130K | $165K | $210K | +4.2% |
| Data Scientist | $100K | $138K | $175K | $220K | +5.1% |
| Product Manager | $110K | $148K | $190K | $240K | +3.8% |
| DevOps Engineer | $105K | $140K | $178K | $215K | +6.2% |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $85K | $115K | $148K | $185K | +7.3% |
| UX Designer | $72K | $99K | $130K | $165K | +3.1% |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $125K | $168K | $215K | $275K | +8.4% |
| Cloud Architect | $130K | $170K | $215K | $265K | +6.8% |
| Frontend Developer | $82K | $112K | $145K | $185K | +4.5% |
| Backend Developer | $90K | $125K | $160K | $200K | +4.3% |
| Full Stack Developer | $88K | $120K | $155K | $195K | +4.6% |
| Mobile Developer | $90K | $125K | $162K | $205K | +5.2% |
| Data Engineer | $98K | $132K | $168K | $210K | +6.5% |
| Data Analyst | $60K | $82K | $108K | $140K | +4% |
| Database Administrator | $78K | $105K | $135K | $170K | +2.8% |
| Systems Administrator | $62K | $86K | $112K | $142K | +2.2% |
| Network Engineer | $75K | $100K | $130K | $165K | +3% |
| IT Manager | $100K | $135K | $172K | $215K | +3.5% |
| Scrum Master | $88K | $115K | $145K | $180K | +3.2% |
| Solutions Architect | $120K | $158K | $200K | $250K | +5.8% |
| AI Engineer | $130K | $175K | $225K | $290K | +12% |
| Blockchain Developer | $110K | $150K | $195K | $250K | +7.5% |
| QA Engineer | $70K | $95K | $125K | $158K | +3% |
| Site Reliability Engineer | $115K | $152K | $192K | $238K | +7% |
| Embedded Systems Engineer | $85K | $112K | $142K | $178K | +3.8% |
| Technical Writer | $58K | $79K | $102K | $130K | +2.5% |
| IT Support Specialist | $42K | $58K | $76K | $98K | +2% |
| Information Security Manager | $115K | $152K | $195K | $245K | +7.8% |
| Penetration Tester | $88K | $118K | $152K | $195K | +8.2% |
| Computer Vision Engineer | $120K | $162K | $208K | $265K | +9.5% |
| NLP Engineer | $125K | $168K | $215K | $272K | +10.2% |
| Game Developer | $72K | $98K | $132K | $172K | +4.8% |
| Salesforce Developer | $90K | $120K | $155K | $195K | +5.5% |
| ERP Consultant | $85K | $115K | $150K | $190K | +3.8% |
Healthcare salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $70K | $89K | $112K | $140K | +3.5% |
| Physician Assistant | $117K | $140K | $167K | $200K | +4.8% |
| Physical Therapist | $81K | $103K | $124K | $151K | +3.2% |
| Healthcare Administrator | $78K | $112K | $151K | $200K | +4.1% |
| Nurse Practitioner | $108K | $131K | $157K | $189K | +5.2% |
| Pharmacist | $127K | $143K | $160K | $178K | +1.2% |
| Medical Doctor | $211K | $268K | $346K | $454K | +2.8% |
| Dentist | $160K | $194K | $243K | $313K | +2.5% |
| Occupational Therapist | $78K | $97K | $119K | $143K | +3.8% |
| Radiologist | $313K | $410K | $508K | $605K | +2.2% |
| Surgeon | $302K | $410K | $540K | $702K | +2.5% |
| Anesthesiologist | $324K | $421K | $518K | $626K | +2.1% |
| Medical Lab Technician | $45K | $60K | $78K | $97K | +3.2% |
| Respiratory Therapist | $63K | $78K | $97K | $121K | +3.8% |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $73K | $92K | $113K | $138K | +4.2% |
| Clinical Psychologist | $78K | $103K | $135K | $175K | +3.5% |
| Psychiatrist | $211K | $268K | $335K | $432K | +3.8% |
| Medical Coder | $45K | $59K | $76K | $95K | +2.8% |
| ICU Nurse | $84K | $106K | $132K | $162K | +4% |
| Surgical Technologist | $49K | $63K | $78K | $97K | +3.5% |
| Paramedic | $41K | $54K | $70K | $89K | +3.2% |
| Registered Dietitian | $56K | $73K | $93K | $117K | +3.5% |
| Optometrist | $121K | $149K | $181K | $227K | +2.8% |
| Genetic Counselor | $78K | $97K | $119K | $146K | +5.8% |
Finance salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Analyst | $71K | $100K | $137K | $189K | +3.6% |
| Accountant | $58K | $82K | $110K | $147K | +2.2% |
| Investment Banker | $126K | $189K | $294K | $473K | +3.9% |
| Actuary | $100K | $131K | $170K | $215K | +5.5% |
| Financial Advisor | $61K | $100K | $155K | $242K | +3.8% |
| Portfolio Manager | $121K | $170K | $236K | $336K | +4.2% |
| Risk Analyst | $71K | $97K | $128K | $166K | +4.5% |
| Tax Manager | $100K | $134K | $173K | $221K | +3% |
| Financial Controller | $110K | $147K | $191K | $247K | +3.2% |
| Chief Financial Officer | $184K | $263K | $378K | $546K | +3.5% |
| Credit Analyst | $55K | $74K | $97K | $126K | +2.8% |
| Mortgage Loan Officer | $50K | $76K | $113K | $170K | +2.5% |
| Compliance Officer | $76K | $103K | $137K | $181K | +4.8% |
| Hedge Fund Analyst | $121K | $173K | $252K | $399K | +3.5% |
| Private Equity Analyst | $116K | $166K | $236K | $368K | +4% |
| Quantitative Analyst | $131K | $181K | $242K | $336K | +6.2% |
| Bookkeeper | $40K | $50K | $63K | $80K | +1% |
| Budget Analyst | $65K | $86K | $109K | $137K | +2.5% |
| Insurance Underwriter | $61K | $82K | $107K | $139K | +2% |
| Venture Capital Analyst | $100K | $142K | $194K | $273K | +5.5% |
Engineering salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineer | $76K | $101K | $130K | $163K | +2.8% |
| Petroleum Engineer | $116K | $152K | $197K | $252K | +1.5% |
| Civil Engineer | $71K | $95K | $124K | $158K | +3.4% |
| Electrical Engineer | $82K | $110K | $143K | $179K | +3.1% |
| Chemical Engineer | $84K | $113K | $147K | $187K | +2.5% |
| Aerospace Engineer | $95K | $128K | $166K | $208K | +3.8% |
| Industrial Engineer | $76K | $101K | $130K | $166K | +3.5% |
| Environmental Engineer | $71K | $97K | $126K | $160K | +4.2% |
| Biomedical Engineer | $76K | $103K | $134K | $170K | +5.2% |
| Structural Engineer | $74K | $97K | $126K | $160K | +3.2% |
| Nuclear Engineer | $100K | $131K | $166K | $208K | +2.2% |
| Materials Engineer | $76K | $103K | $134K | $170K | +3% |
| Geotechnical Engineer | $71K | $95K | $124K | $158K | +3.5% |
| Controls Engineer | $82K | $109K | $141K | $176K | +4% |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $74K | $100K | $128K | $163K | +3.2% |
| Process Engineer | $76K | $103K | $134K | $170K | +3.5% |
| Quality Engineer | $68K | $92K | $121K | $155K | +3% |
Business salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Manager | $84K | $119K | $164K | $216K | +3.3% |
| Human Resources Manager | $81K | $112K | $151K | $194K | +2.9% |
| Project Manager | $78K | $106K | $143K | $184K | +3.7% |
| Operations Manager | $73K | $106K | $146K | $194K | +2.5% |
| Business Analyst | $67K | $92K | $121K | $157K | +3.8% |
| Management Consultant | $86K | $124K | $175K | $243K | +4.2% |
| Supply Chain Manager | $84K | $117K | $153K | $197K | +4.5% |
| Sales Manager | $78K | $113K | $164K | $232K | +3.5% |
| Account Executive | $59K | $84K | $121K | $175K | +3.8% |
| Chief Executive Officer | $167K | $254K | $410K | $670K | +3.2% |
| Chief Operating Officer | $157K | $227K | $346K | $518K | +3% |
| Chief Marketing Officer | $157K | $227K | $333K | $497K | +3.5% |
| General Manager | $81K | $117K | $164K | $227K | +2.8% |
| Logistics Coordinator | $45K | $60K | $78K | $99K | +3.5% |
| Purchasing Manager | $84K | $117K | $151K | $192K | +2.5% |
| Digital Marketing Manager | $73K | $103K | $138K | $181K | +5.5% |
| SEO Specialist | $52K | $70K | $95K | $127K | +5.8% |
| Content Strategist | $59K | $81K | $108K | $140K | +5.2% |
| Brand Manager | $78K | $106K | $143K | $186K | +3.5% |
| Recruiter | $52K | $70K | $95K | $130K | +3.2% |
| Executive Assistant | $56K | $73K | $95K | $121K | +1.8% |
| Public Relations Manager | $73K | $103K | $140K | $186K | +3% |
| Event Planner | $45K | $60K | $81K | $108K | +3.8% |
Education salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K-12 Teacher | $47K | $65K | $86K | $110K | +1.8% |
| University Professor | $68K | $95K | $137K | $200K | +2.1% |
| School Principal | $86K | $107K | $131K | $160K | +2.2% |
| Instructional Designer | $61K | $80K | $103K | $131K | +4.5% |
| School Counselor | $50K | $65K | $84K | $105K | +3% |
| Special Education Teacher | $50K | $68K | $88K | $113K | +3.5% |
| Curriculum Developer | $58K | $76K | $97K | $124K | +3.8% |
| Education Administrator | $76K | $100K | $128K | $163K | +2.5% |
| Librarian | $50K | $65K | $84K | $105K | +1.5% |
| Academic Advisor | $42K | $55K | $71K | $90K | +3% |
Legal salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney | $82K | $134K | $218K | $368K | +3.5% |
| Paralegal | $44K | $59K | $78K | $100K | +3.8% |
| Corporate Lawyer | $121K | $184K | $294K | $473K | +3.8% |
| Patent Attorney | $142K | $194K | $260K | $357K | +4.2% |
| Compliance Lawyer | $105K | $152K | $208K | $278K | +5% |
| Judge | $100K | $142K | $191K | $252K | +1.5% |
| Legal Operations Manager | $100K | $137K | $179K | $231K | +6.5% |
Construction salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Manager | $80K | $107K | $141K | $184K | +4.5% |
| Electrician | $53K | $69K | $90K | $117K | +6.2% |
| Plumber | $53K | $69K | $92K | $120K | +5.5% |
| HVAC Technician | $49K | $63K | $82K | $104K | +5.8% |
| Welder | $39K | $51K | $65K | $84K | +3.5% |
| Carpenter | $43K | $57K | $75K | $97K | +4% |
| Land Surveyor | $59K | $80K | $104K | $133K | +3.8% |
| Construction Estimator | $63K | $86K | $112K | $145K | +4.2% |
Real Estate salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Agent | $38K | $62K | $105K | $180K | +3.5% |
| Real Estate Broker | $55K | $95K | $162K | $275K | +3.5% |
| Property Manager | $48K | $65K | $88K | $118K | +3.2% |
| Real Estate Appraiser | $52K | $72K | $98K | $132K | +2.8% |
| Commercial Real Estate Analyst | $62K | $88K | $120K | $162K | +4% |
Government salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Planner | $60K | $80K | $102K | $130K | +3.8% |
| Social Worker | $40K | $55K | $72K | $92K | +3.5% |
| Firefighter | $42K | $58K | $78K | $102K | +2.8% |
| Police Officer | $48K | $65K | $88K | $115K | +2.5% |
| Military Officer | $55K | $82K | $115K | $155K | +2% |
| Public Health Official | $68K | $92K | $120K | $155K | +4.5% |
| Policy Analyst | $58K | $78K | $102K | $132K | +3.5% |
| Government Budget Officer | $62K | $82K | $105K | $135K | +2.5% |
Science salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biologist | $63K | $90K | $121K | $161K | +3.5% |
| Chemist | $67K | $92K | $124K | $163K | +3.2% |
| Physicist | $90K | $129K | $175K | $230K | +4% |
| Geologist | $71K | $101K | $136K | $178K | +3.8% |
| Epidemiologist | $78K | $103K | $136K | $175K | +4.5% |
| Biochemist | $71K | $101K | $140K | $186K | +4.2% |
| Environmental Scientist | $63K | $87K | $115K | $152K | +4.8% |
| Research Scientist | $83K | $113K | $152K | $201K | +4.5% |
| Pharmaceutical Data Scientist | $121K | $163K | $209K | $262K | +7.5% |
| Clinical Research Coordinator | $55K | $71K | $92K | $117K | +5.5% |
| Laboratory Manager | $75K | $101K | $132K | $170K | +3.8% |
Creative salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer | $42K | $58K | $78K | $102K | +3% |
| Art Director | $72K | $100K | $135K | $178K | +2.8% |
| Video Producer | $48K | $68K | $95K | $135K | +4.2% |
| Copywriter | $45K | $62K | $85K | $115K | +3.5% |
| Photographer | $32K | $46K | $68K | $100K | +3% |
| Animator | $52K | $72K | $98K | $135K | +4.5% |
| Journalist | $38K | $52K | $72K | $102K | +1.5% |
| Social Media Manager | $45K | $60K | $82K | $110K | +6.5% |
| Interior Designer | $42K | $58K | $80K | $108K | +3.2% |
| Fashion Designer | $48K | $68K | $98K | $145K | +2.5% |
| Music Producer | $38K | $62K | $105K | $185K | +3.5% |
| UX Researcher | $82K | $112K | $145K | $185K | +5.5% |
Hospitality salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Manager | $51K | $71K | $96K | $132K | +3.2% |
| Executive Chef | $51K | $67K | $90K | $125K | +3.8% |
| Restaurant Manager | $41K | $55K | $73K | $96K | +3.5% |
| Travel Agent | $34K | $45K | $61K | $83K | +3% |
| Sommelier | $41K | $57K | $80K | $113K | +3.2% |
Retail salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Store Manager | $41K | $57K | $76K | $103K | +2% |
| Sales Representative | $41K | $61K | $90K | $135K | +3.5% |
| Retail Buyer | $51K | $71K | $96K | $127K | +2.5% |
| E-Commerce Manager | $61K | $83K | $113K | $149K | +7.5% |
| Business Development Manager | $71K | $100K | $137K | $188K | +4.5% |
Transportation salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $103K | $157K | $230K | $323K | +5.2% |
| Logistics Manager | $71K | $96K | $127K | $165K | +4.5% |
| Truck Driver (CDL) | $41K | $51K | $67K | $86K | +4.8% |
| Transportation Planner | $61K | $80K | $106K | $137K | +4.2% |
| Fleet Manager | $57K | $76K | $100K | $129K | +4% |
Energy salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineer | $80K | $107K | $141K | $179K | +6.5% |
| Solar Installer | $43K | $53K | $69K | $90K | +22% |
| Wind Turbine Technician | $49K | $61K | $78K | $100K | +45% |
| Oil & Gas Operations Manager | $112K | $151K | $196K | $253K | +2% |
| Energy Analyst | $63K | $87K | $114K | $148K | +6% |
Nonprofit salaries in Durham
| Job title | Entry (25th) | Median | Senior (75th) | Top (90th) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit Executive Director | $63K | $87K | $120K | $168K | +3.2% |
| Grant Writer | $49K | $63K | $82K | $104K | +3.5% |
| Fundraising Manager | $53K | $71K | $97K | $133K | +3.8% |
| Case Manager | $39K | $51K | $65K | $84K | +3.5% |
| Community Outreach Coordinator | $39K | $51K | $66K | $86K | +3.8% |
Working in Durham, North Carolina: Salary Guide (2026)
Durham is home to the Durham–NC metropolitan area with a population of 278,993. The city has a cost of living index of 100 (US average = 100), meaning living costs are close to the US average.
North Carolina has a 4.75% state income tax rate. When comparing offers with cities in no-income-tax states like Texas, Washington, or Florida, factor in this difference.
Top-paying industries in Durham
Durham's economy spans multiple high-wage sectors. The city's diverse employer base creates strong demand across technology, healthcare, finance, and professional services.