Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $381,330 a year, or about $183.33 an hour. The range runs from $114K at the entry level to $765K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $390,827 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,711/month, or 7.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $381K 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 chief executives
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Durham-Chapel Hill sits well above the national pay line for chief executives, local pay runs about 78% higher than the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,711/month, 8.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Durham-Chapel Hill offers a genuinely strong financial position for chief executivess at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $329K | $338K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $286K | $291K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $354K | $382K |
| Winston-Salem | $274K | $297K |
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 chief executives (10th percentile) start around $114K. Mid-career wages sit at $381K. Top earners bring in $765K or more, a $651K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes — at the median salary of $381K, rent takes 8.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $114K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,835/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay is 78% above the national median — $381K here vs. $214K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for chief executives?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $381K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s +78%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $391K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $381,330 a year, that works out to about $183 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $113,920, and experienced chief executives can clear $765,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $381K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $20,694/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 8.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives 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 chief executives salary is worth about $390,827 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives 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.