Audio and Video Technicians Salary
The median pay for a audio and video technicians in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $49,940/year ($24.01/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $51,184 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 49.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K 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 audio and video technicians
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for audio and video technicians in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 51.4% 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 audio and video technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for audio and video technicians in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $48K | $50K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $47K | $48K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $46K | $50K |
| Winston-Salem | $46K | $50K |
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 audio and video technicians (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Audio and Video Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Audio and Video Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $79K | +36% | 830 |
| New Jersey | $71K | +22% | 2,280 |
| Maryland | $70K | +21% | 1,770 |
| Washington | $69K | +19% | 1,360 |
| New York | $68K | +16% | 7,990 |
| California | $65K | +11% | 9,280 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +10% | 150 |
| Nevada | $63K | +8% | 1,580 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +7% | 820 |
| Alaska | $62K | +7% | 70 |
| Illinois | $61K | +5% | 3,020 |
| Hawaii | $60K | +4% | 430 |
| Delaware | $60K | +3% | 130 |
| Michigan | $58K | +0% | 1,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -2% | 3,080 |
| Colorado | $57K | -2% | 830 |
| New Hampshire | $56K | -3% | 170 |
| Florida | $54K | -7% | 6,000 |
| Virginia | $54K | -7% | 1,900 |
| Minnesota | $54K | -7% | 960 |
| Oregon | $52K | -10% | 630 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -10% | 440 |
| Vermont | $52K | -11% | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 760 |
| Georgia | $51K | -12% | 1,630 |
| Iowa | $51K | -12% | 290 |
| Missouri | $51K | -13% | 1,370 |
| Nebraska | $51K | -13% | 290 |
| Alabama | $50K | -14% | 320 |
| North Dakota | $50K | -14% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -14% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -14% | 1,640 |
| Idaho | $50K | -14% | 210 |
| Ohio | $50K | -14% | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $50K | -14% | 1,390 |
| Wyoming | $50K | -14% | 50 |
| Texas | $49K | -15% | 4,280 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -16% | 540 |
| Utah | $49K | -16% | 1,880 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -17% | 600 |
| Arizona | $47K | -19% | 1,340 |
| New Mexico | $47K | -19% | 420 |
| Montana | $47K | -20% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -20% | 1,870 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -20% | 200 |
| Maine | $46K | -21% | 150 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -23% | 860 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -24% | 150 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -25% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track audio and video technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a audio and video technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 51.4% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for audio and video technicians in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new audio and video technicians typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,083/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 82% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is audio and video technician a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $50K here vs. $58K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for audio and video technicians?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do audio and video technicians make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $49,940 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,720, and experienced audio and video technicians can clear $63,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,327/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 51.4% 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 audio and video technicians 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 audio and video technicians salary is worth about $51,184 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do audio and video technicians 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.