Accountants and Auditors Salary
The median pay for a accountants and auditors in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $85,090/year ($40.91/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $153K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $87,209 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 31.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $85K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About accountants and auditors
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Accountants and auditors pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $85K locally vs. $84K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for accountants and auditors in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $93K | $95K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $82K | $83K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $80K | $86K |
| Winston-Salem | $79K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level accountants and auditors (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $153K or more, a $92K spread from bottom to top.
Accountants and Auditors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Accountants and Auditors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $112K | +33% | 9,810 |
| New York | $103K | +23% | 109,830 |
| New Jersey | $101K | +20% | 42,250 |
| Massachusetts | $99K | +19% | 46,230 |
| Connecticut | $98K | +17% | 16,770 |
| California | $97K | +16% | 175,360 |
| Colorado | $97K | +16% | 35,410 |
| Washington | $97K | +15% | 34,740 |
| Rhode Island | $96K | +15% | 6,570 |
| Delaware | $95K | +14% | 6,570 |
| Virginia | $93K | +11% | 47,100 |
| Maryland | $89K | +7% | 26,170 |
| Oregon | $86K | +3% | 14,920 |
| New Hampshire | $83K | -0% | 7,000 |
| Alaska | $83K | -0% | 2,190 |
| North Carolina | $82K | -2% | 49,270 |
| Georgia | $82K | -2% | 44,020 |
| Minnesota | $82K | -2% | 30,530 |
| Nevada | $82K | -2% | 6,930 |
| Texas | $81K | -3% | 116,470 |
| Illinois | $80K | -4% | 54,930 |
| Utah | $80K | -4% | 15,490 |
| Arizona | $80K | -4% | 27,410 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | -5% | 25,100 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -5% | 16,720 |
| Ohio | $79K | -5% | 50,440 |
| Florida | $79K | -5% | 91,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $79K | -6% | 54,290 |
| Kansas | $79K | -6% | 13,610 |
| Vermont | $79K | -6% | 2,630 |
| South Dakota | $79K | -6% | 5,820 |
| Michigan | $79K | -6% | 41,460 |
| New Mexico | $79K | -6% | 6,300 |
| Indiana | $78K | -7% | 25,660 |
| Wyoming | $78K | -7% | 2,670 |
| Maine | $77K | -7% | 3,860 |
| Iowa | $77K | -7% | 13,210 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -8% | 27,340 |
| Missouri | $77K | -8% | 28,000 |
| South Carolina | $77K | -9% | 15,270 |
| Montana | $76K | -9% | 4,730 |
| North Dakota | $76K | -10% | 4,430 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -10% | 11,930 |
| Alabama | $75K | -11% | 24,300 |
| Idaho | $75K | -11% | 5,570 |
| Hawaii | $75K | -11% | 4,670 |
| Louisiana | $74K | -12% | 14,050 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -12% | 4,900 |
| Nebraska | $72K | -14% | 10,340 |
| Mississippi | $68K | -19% | 7,350 |
| Arkansas | $66K | -21% | 7,870 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a accountants and auditor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 31.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for accountants and auditors in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new accountants and auditors typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,637/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is accountants and auditor a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $85K locally vs. $84K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for accountants and auditors?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do accountants and auditors make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $85,090 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,620, and experienced accountants and auditors can clear $152,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,368/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 31.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a accountants and auditors salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median accountants and auditors salary is worth about $87,209 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do accountants and auditors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.