Budget Analysts Salary
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, budget analysts earn $82,350 at the median, or about $39.59 an hour. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $84,401 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 32.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $82K 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 budget analysts
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Budget analysts pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $82K locally vs. $92K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.8% 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 budget analysts in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $81K | $82K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $89K | $92K |
| Fayetteville | $101K | $110K |
| Wilmington | $59K | $61K |
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 budget analysts (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Budget Analysts pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Budget Analysts salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $125K | +36% | 1,490 |
| Maryland | $106K | +16% | 2,490 |
| Virginia | $105K | +15% | 2,730 |
| California | $100K | +9% | 4,160 |
| Alabama | $99K | +9% | 870 |
| Colorado | $97K | +6% | 1,290 |
| Washington | $97K | +5% | 1,510 |
| Michigan | $96K | +5% | 1,020 |
| New Jersey | $96K | +5% | 840 |
| Connecticut | $95K | +4% | 970 |
| Oregon | $95K | +4% | 1,090 |
| Illinois | $95K | +4% | 750 |
| Alaska | $95K | +3% | 220 |
| Vermont | $93K | +2% | 90 |
| Rhode Island | $93K | +1% | 90 |
| New Hampshire | $93K | +1% | 80 |
| Hawaii | $92K | +1% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $92K | +1% | 1,280 |
| Georgia | $92K | +0% | 1,900 |
| Ohio | $90K | -2% | 800 |
| Utah | $89K | -3% | 280 |
| New York | $89K | -3% | 2,760 |
| Maine | $88K | -4% | 200 |
| New Mexico | $87K | -5% | 740 |
| Tennessee | $87K | -6% | 1,140 |
| Iowa | $87K | -6% | 390 |
| South Carolina | $86K | -6% | 470 |
| Minnesota | $86K | -6% | 450 |
| Arizona | $85K | -7% | 730 |
| Pennsylvania | $84K | -8% | 1,490 |
| Florida | $84K | -8% | 3,150 |
| Idaho | $83K | -9% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $83K | -9% | 200 |
| Texas | $83K | -9% | 3,340 |
| North Carolina | $82K | -10% | 1,830 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | -10% | 820 |
| Indiana | $82K | -10% | 390 |
| Delaware | $82K | -11% | 260 |
| Missouri | $82K | -11% | 520 |
| Nevada | $82K | -11% | 440 |
| Wyoming | $81K | -12% | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $81K | -12% | 670 |
| Louisiana | $81K | -12% | 330 |
| Kansas | $80K | -13% | 270 |
| Montana | $80K | -13% | 360 |
| South Dakota | $79K | -14% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $79K | -14% | 180 |
| Mississippi | $79K | -14% | 390 |
| North Dakota | $77K | -16% | 150 |
| Kentucky | $77K | -16% | 630 |
| Arkansas | $72K | -22% | 320 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track budget analysts salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
Can a budget analyst afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 32.8% 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 budget analysts in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new budget analysts typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,868/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is budget analyst a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $82K locally vs. $92K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for budget analysts?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — below the national median.
How much do budget analysts make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $82,350 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,470, and experienced budget analysts can clear $108,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,218/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 32.8% 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 budget analysts 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 budget analysts salary is worth about $84,401 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do budget analysts 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.