Question 1

What is the cost of living in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

Accepted Answer

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 97.57, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 2.4% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,711/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, the average median wage is $130,995. The single highest-paying occupation here is Chief Executives at $381,330/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Durham-Chapel Hill?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC are: 1) Chief Executives at $381,330; 2) Physicians, Pathologists at $272,300; 3) Family Medicine Physicians at $220,840; 4) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons at $219,990; 5) General Internal Medicine Physicians at $214,620. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Durham-Chapel Hill?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $1,711/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Durham-Chapel Hill data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
41	Physical Scientists, All Other	Science	$128K	$61.72/hr
42	Engineers, All Other	Engineering	$128K	$61.4/hr
43	Sociologists	Science	$127K	$60.94/hr
44	Computer Occupations, All Other	Technology	$126K	$60.72/hr
45	Management Analysts	Business & Finance	$126K	$60.63/hr
46	Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$126K	N/A
47	Real Estate Brokers	Sales	$124K	$59.72/hr
48	Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other	Healthcare	$123K	$59.27/hr
49	Materials Scientists	Science	$123K	$59.17/hr
50	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	Technology	$123K	$59.13/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Highest paying careers in Durham-Chapel Hill

Affordability snapshot: Durham-Chapel Hill