Health Education Specialists Salary
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, health education specialists earn $76,380 at the median, or about $36.72 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $147K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $78,282 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 33.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $76K 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 health education specialists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Durham-Chapel Hill sits well above the national pay line for health education specialists, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 35% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for health education specialists in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $54K | $56K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $60K | $61K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $55K | $59K |
| Winston-Salem | $51K | $55K |
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 health education specialists (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $147K or more, a $103K spread from bottom to top.
Health Education Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Health Education Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $104K | +63% | 2,220 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +61% | 680 |
| Georgia | $99K | +55% | 3,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | +26% | 2,690 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +22% | 1,250 |
| Washington | $77K | +21% | 1,750 |
| Iowa | $76K | +18% | 540 |
| Oregon | $76K | +18% | 840 |
| Rhode Island | $75K | +18% | 150 |
| Colorado | $74K | +16% | 750 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | +16% | 900 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +15% | 1,420 |
| Alaska | $72K | +12% | 310 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | +9% | 250 |
| Vermont | $68K | +6% | 180 |
| Connecticut | $67K | +4% | 400 |
| Kentucky | $65K | +2% | 760 |
| Alabama | $65K | +2% | 540 |
| Ohio | $65K | +1% | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $65K | +1% | 470 |
| Virginia | $64K | -0% | 690 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -1% | 190 |
| California | $64K | -1% | 12,520 |
| Arizona | $63K | -1% | 1,140 |
| Delaware | $63K | -1% | 340 |
| Kansas | $63K | -2% | 520 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -2% | 400 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -2% | 90 |
| New York | $63K | -2% | 4,150 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -3% | 820 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -3% | 200 |
| Nevada | $62K | -3% | 270 |
| Idaho | $61K | -4% | 370 |
| Illinois | $60K | -6% | 1,010 |
| Utah | $60K | -7% | 490 |
| North Dakota | $60K | -7% | 200 |
| Texas | $59K | -7% | 5,320 |
| Maine | $58K | -9% | 490 |
| Indiana | $58K | -9% | 1,380 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -9% | 2,110 |
| New Mexico | $58K | -9% | 660 |
| Louisiana | $58K | -10% | 470 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | -10% | 2,420 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -10% | 190 |
| Missouri | $57K | -11% | N/A |
| Nebraska | $57K | -11% | 230 |
| Michigan | $56K | -12% | 1,480 |
| Montana | $51K | -20% | 240 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -20% | 410 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -23% | 490 |
| Florida | $46K | -28% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track health education specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Community & Social
Frequently asked questions
Can a health education specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 35% 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 health education specialists in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new health education specialists typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,666/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is health education specialist a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $76K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for health education specialists?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $78K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do health education specialists make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $76,380 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,430, and experienced health education specialists can clear $147,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,890/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 35% 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 health education 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 health education specialists salary is worth about $78,282 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do health education 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.