Community Health Workers Salary
Community Health Workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $46,760 a year, or about $22.48 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $47,925 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 52.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K 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 community health workers
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Community health workers pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $52K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 54.7% 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 community health workers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $50K | $51K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $51K | $52K |
| Winston-Salem | $49K | $53K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $47K | $51K |
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 community health workers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Community Health Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Community Health Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $67K | +29% | 200 |
| District of Columbia | $63K | +21% | 280 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +15% | 90 |
| Colorado | $59K | +14% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $58K | +13% | 240 |
| New York | $58K | +12% | 5,800 |
| California | $58K | +12% | 9,500 |
| Nevada | $58K | +11% | 670 |
| Washington | $57K | +10% | 2,640 |
| Delaware | $56K | +8% | 280 |
| New Jersey | $56K | +8% | 1,330 |
| Utah | $56K | +7% | 580 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | +7% | 2,970 |
| New Mexico | $55K | +6% | 610 |
| Wyoming | $54K | +4% | 140 |
| Connecticut | $54K | +3% | 290 |
| Oregon | $53K | +3% | 1,980 |
| Rhode Island | $53K | +2% | 520 |
| Idaho | $52K | +0% | 270 |
| Alaska | $52K | +0% | 400 |
| Nebraska | $52K | -0% | 160 |
| Vermont | $52K | -1% | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -1% | 630 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -2% | 1,970 |
| Georgia | $51K | -2% | 490 |
| Ohio | $51K | -2% | 1,910 |
| Maryland | $51K | -3% | 3,030 |
| Montana | $50K | -4% | 330 |
| Michigan | $49K | -5% | 1,890 |
| Illinois | $49K | -5% | 2,040 |
| Arizona | $49K | -6% | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $49K | -6% | 620 |
| Missouri | $49K | -6% | 1,820 |
| Texas | $49K | -6% | 4,210 |
| Maine | $49K | -6% | 360 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -7% | 980 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -7% | 540 |
| Indiana | $48K | -8% | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $48K | -8% | 390 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -8% | 1,680 |
| Minnesota | $48K | -8% | 1,260 |
| Kansas | $47K | -9% | 240 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -10% | 210 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -12% | 600 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -12% | 270 |
| Florida | $45K | -12% | 1,220 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -13% | N/A |
| Alabama | $43K | -16% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $42K | -18% | 520 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -24% | 410 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -27% | 310 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track community health workers 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 community health worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 54.7% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for community health workers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new community health workers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,405/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is community health worker a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $52K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for community health workers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do community health workers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $46,760 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,080, and experienced community health workers can clear $64,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,126/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 54.7% 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 community health workers 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 community health workers salary is worth about $47,925 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do community health workers 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.