Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $60,080 a year, or about $28.88 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $61,576 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 42.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K 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 chemical equipment operators and tenders
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Chemical equipment operators and tenders pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $58K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 43.1% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical equipment operators and tenders in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $45K | $51K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $57K | $59K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $50K | $54K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $60K | $62K |
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 chemical equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $102K | +75% | 290 |
| Alabama | $80K | +38% | 3,280 |
| Montana | $80K | +37% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $79K | +35% | 6,430 |
| Idaho | $77K | +33% | 550 |
| Rhode Island | $70K | +20% | 430 |
| Washington | $67K | +16% | 1,720 |
| West Virginia | $66K | +14% | 1,190 |
| Arkansas | $64K | +11% | 1,160 |
| Mississippi | $64K | +11% | 990 |
| Delaware | $63K | +9% | 1,160 |
| Illinois | $62K | +7% | 5,580 |
| Tennessee | $61K | +5% | 3,860 |
| New Mexico | $61K | +5% | 170 |
| Ohio | $61K | +4% | 7,830 |
| Texas | $60K | +4% | 20,880 |
| Virginia | $60K | +3% | 2,040 |
| Maryland | $60K | +3% | 1,220 |
| Nebraska | $60K | +3% | 1,020 |
| Nevada | $59K | +1% | 210 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +1% | 860 |
| California | $58K | +0% | 5,670 |
| Iowa | $58K | -1% | 2,010 |
| Kentucky | $58K | -1% | 3,590 |
| Maine | $57K | -1% | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $57K | -2% | 2,860 |
| Indiana | $57K | -2% | 6,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -2% | 6,230 |
| Oregon | $57K | -3% | 950 |
| New Jersey | $57K | -3% | 8,560 |
| South Carolina | $56K | -3% | 4,040 |
| Kansas | $55K | -5% | 1,920 |
| Minnesota | $53K | -8% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 2,730 |
| Missouri | $51K | -13% | 2,790 |
| Colorado | $50K | -13% | 910 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -14% | 790 |
| Michigan | $50K | -14% | 5,210 |
| Georgia | $50K | -14% | 4,330 |
| North Carolina | $50K | -14% | 5,260 |
| New York | $50K | -14% | 4,270 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -15% | 350 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -16% | 230 |
| Hawaii | $48K | -18% | 30 |
| Arizona | $46K | -21% | 1,330 |
| Florida | $44K | -24% | 4,270 |
| Utah | $39K | -33% | 2,610 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chemical equipment operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 43.1% 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 chemical equipment operators and tenders in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,724/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical equipment operators and tender a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $58K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for chemical equipment operators and tenders?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical equipment operators and tenders make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $60,080 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,400, and experienced chemical equipment operators and tenders can clear $78,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,967/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 43.1% 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 chemical equipment operators and tenders 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 chemical equipment operators and tenders salary is worth about $61,576 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical equipment operators and tenders 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.