Computer User Support Specialists Salary
Computer User Support Specialists in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $71,750 a year, or about $34.5 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $133K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $73,537 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 35.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $72K 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 computer user support specialists
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Durham-Chapel Hill sits well above the national pay line for computer user support specialists, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 36.9% 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for computer user support specialists in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $62K | $64K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $60K | $62K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $55K | $60K |
| Winston-Salem | $59K | $64K |
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 computer user support specialists (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $133K or more, a $87K spread from bottom to top.
Computer User Support Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Computer User Support Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $81K | +31% | 3,140 |
| California | $80K | +29% | 74,490 |
| Washington | $75K | +22% | 21,860 |
| Massachusetts | $75K | +21% | 17,570 |
| New York | $73K | +17% | 39,100 |
| Colorado | $72K | +16% | 16,740 |
| Connecticut | $70K | +13% | 9,300 |
| Wyoming | $65K | +5% | 790 |
| Virginia | $65K | +5% | 20,910 |
| Maryland | $65K | +5% | 12,200 |
| New Jersey | $64K | +4% | 18,200 |
| Minnesota | $64K | +3% | 15,320 |
| Alaska | $63K | +2% | 950 |
| Vermont | $63K | +2% | 1,630 |
| Oregon | $63K | +2% | 8,850 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | +1% | 1,780 |
| Delaware | $62K | +0% | 1,890 |
| Arizona | $61K | -1% | 18,780 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -1% | 1,400 |
| Utah | $61K | -1% | 11,120 |
| Maine | $61K | -2% | 2,810 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -2% | 6,380 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | -2% | 3,910 |
| Georgia | $60K | -2% | 25,980 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -3% | 23,100 |
| Illinois | $60K | -3% | 26,060 |
| Missouri | $60K | -3% | 13,510 |
| Ohio | $60K | -3% | 22,370 |
| Texas | $59K | -4% | 72,030 |
| Idaho | $59K | -4% | 3,650 |
| Iowa | $59K | -5% | 6,140 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -5% | 12,400 |
| Florida | $59K | -5% | 51,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -5% | 30,560 |
| Montana | $58K | -5% | 1,640 |
| Nevada | $58K | -6% | 6,560 |
| Kentucky | $58K | -6% | 9,460 |
| Hawaii | $57K | -8% | 2,440 |
| Indiana | $57K | -9% | 13,540 |
| Michigan | $56K | -9% | 22,090 |
| Kansas | $56K | -9% | 6,780 |
| Tennessee | $56K | -9% | 11,920 |
| West Virginia | $55K | -11% | 2,250 |
| New Mexico | $53K | -14% | 3,290 |
| Louisiana | $52K | -15% | 4,780 |
| Mississippi | $52K | -16% | 3,830 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -16% | 9,880 |
| Oklahoma | $52K | -16% | 9,600 |
| Alabama | $50K | -20% | 7,360 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -22% | 1,240 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -25% | 4,390 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track computer user support specialists salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a computer user support specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 36.9% 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 $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for computer user support specialists in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new computer user support specialists typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,783/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is computer user support specialist a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $72K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for computer user support specialists?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do computer user support specialists make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $71,750 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,390, and experienced computer user support specialists can clear $133,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,636/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 36.9% 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 computer user support specialists 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 computer user support specialists salary is worth about $73,537 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do computer user support specialists 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.