Fundraisers Salary
Fundraisers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $78,280 a year, or about $37.64 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $133K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $80,230 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 32.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $78K 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 fundraisers
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Fundraisers pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $73K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% 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 fundraisers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $64K | $66K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $71K | $72K |
| Winston-Salem | $75K | $82K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $65K | $71K |
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 fundraisers (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $133K or more, a $80K spread from bottom to top.
Fundraisers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Fundraisers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $81K | +11% | 2,350 |
| New York | $81K | +11% | 11,600 |
| Maryland | $80K | +10% | 2,010 |
| California | $80K | +10% | 12,860 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +9% | 6,160 |
| Washington | $79K | +9% | 3,870 |
| Connecticut | $78K | +7% | 1,350 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +6% | 1,950 |
| Minnesota | $77K | +6% | 3,190 |
| North Dakota | $76K | +5% | 340 |
| Rhode Island | $75K | +4% | 1,000 |
| Colorado | $74K | +3% | 2,470 |
| Virginia | $73K | +0% | 4,010 |
| Vermont | $73K | -0% | 510 |
| Louisiana | $72K | -1% | 330 |
| Georgia | $72K | -1% | 2,690 |
| Wyoming | $71K | -2% | 90 |
| Delaware | $71K | -2% | 320 |
| Nevada | $69K | -6% | 310 |
| Kentucky | $68K | -6% | 1,030 |
| Nebraska | $68K | -6% | 770 |
| South Dakota | $67K | -8% | 80 |
| Maine | $67K | -8% | 930 |
| Illinois | $66K | -8% | 4,470 |
| New Hampshire | $66K | -9% | 810 |
| Indiana | $66K | -9% | 2,080 |
| Michigan | $66K | -9% | 3,170 |
| North Carolina | $66K | -9% | 3,700 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -9% | 2,130 |
| New Mexico | $65K | -10% | 330 |
| Kansas | $65K | -11% | 1,100 |
| Florida | $64K | -11% | N/A |
| Arizona | $64K | -12% | 1,580 |
| Oregon | $64K | -12% | 2,090 |
| Ohio | $64K | -12% | 3,460 |
| Oklahoma | $64K | -12% | 950 |
| Iowa | $64K | -12% | 1,230 |
| Missouri | $64K | -12% | 1,670 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -12% | 440 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -12% | 6,180 |
| Alaska | $63K | -14% | 290 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -14% | 1,200 |
| Utah | $62K | -15% | 920 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -15% | 1,930 |
| Montana | $61K | -16% | 700 |
| Idaho | $61K | -16% | 380 |
| Texas | $60K | -17% | 4,020 |
| Alabama | $60K | -17% | 1,120 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -21% | 230 |
| West Virginia | $55K | -25% | 260 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -31% | 360 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track fundraisers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fundraiser afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 34.3% 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 $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for fundraisers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fundraisers typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,197/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is fundraiser a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $73K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for fundraisers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $80K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fundraisers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $78,280 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,280, and experienced fundraisers can clear $133,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,994/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 34.3% 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 fundraisers 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 fundraisers salary is worth about $80,230 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do fundraisers 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.