Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The median pay for a area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $61,130/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $62,652 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 41.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K 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 area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $85K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 42.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondarys.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $73K | $75K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $81K | $81K |
| Richmond | $86K | $88K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $82K | $84K |
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 area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $53K spread from bottom to top.
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $125K | +48% | 80 |
| Kansas | $107K | +26% | 90 |
| California | $105K | +24% | 770 |
| Rhode Island | $104K | +23% | N/A |
| Maine | $103K | +21% | 50 |
| New York | $102K | +20% | 1,520 |
| District of Columbia | $102K | +20% | 230 |
| Massachusetts | $100K | +18% | 610 |
| Connecticut | $100K | +18% | 310 |
| New Jersey | $98K | +15% | 480 |
| Pennsylvania | $96K | +13% | 260 |
| Maryland | $91K | +7% | 520 |
| Illinois | $90K | +6% | 220 |
| Michigan | $88K | +3% | 460 |
| Virginia | $86K | +1% | 300 |
| Indiana | $85K | -0% | 260 |
| Utah | $83K | -2% | 40 |
| Alaska | $82K | -4% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $82K | -4% | 280 |
| Washington | $81K | -4% | 240 |
| Oregon | $80K | -6% | 340 |
| Ohio | $80K | -6% | 390 |
| Colorado | $79K | -7% | 160 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | -7% | 180 |
| Montana | $79K | -7% | 90 |
| Georgia | $78K | -9% | 450 |
| Oklahoma | $77K | -10% | 50 |
| Wyoming | $76K | -10% | 40 |
| Arizona | $76K | -11% | 240 |
| Tennessee | $75K | -12% | 60 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -12% | 90 |
| Texas | $72K | -15% | 830 |
| West Virginia | $71K | -16% | 40 |
| Florida | $67K | -22% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $66K | -22% | 590 |
| South Carolina | $65K | -24% | 130 |
| Alabama | $63K | -26% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 37 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 42.4% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,923/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $61K here vs. $85K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $85K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $61,130 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,720, and experienced area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries can clear $101,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,034/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 42.4% 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 area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary 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 area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $62,652 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondaries 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.