Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers Salary
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers earn $37,370 at the median, or about $17.96 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $38,301 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 65.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K 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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 67.6% 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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $42K | $43K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $39K | $39K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $37K | $40K |
| Wilmington | $37K | $39K |
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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $55K | +38% | 110 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +17% | 660 |
| Washington | $46K | +16% | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +15% | 560 |
| Alaska | $46K | +15% | 550 |
| Colorado | $46K | +15% | 1,190 |
| Arizona | $46K | +15% | 1,770 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | +14% | 140 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +13% | 1,110 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +13% | 100 |
| California | $45K | +13% | 9,050 |
| Connecticut | $44K | +12% | 1,050 |
| Utah | $44K | +12% | 410 |
| New York | $44K | +11% | 5,310 |
| Michigan | $44K | +10% | 2,180 |
| Oregon | $43K | +9% | 1,330 |
| Vermont | $43K | +8% | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $42K | +6% | 1,290 |
| Maryland | $42K | +5% | 1,770 |
| Wisconsin | $42K | +5% | 1,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $42K | +5% | 2,540 |
| New Jersey | $41K | +4% | 3,050 |
| Delaware | $41K | +2% | 360 |
| Ohio | $40K | +1% | 1,550 |
| Illinois | $40K | +0% | 1,750 |
| Maine | $40K | -0% | 280 |
| Montana | $39K | -1% | 400 |
| Idaho | $39K | -1% | 430 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -2% | 340 |
| Virginia | $39K | -2% | 3,100 |
| Florida | $39K | -2% | 5,520 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -2% | 4,400 |
| Iowa | $39K | -2% | 990 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -3% | 2,540 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -3% | 2,160 |
| Indiana | $37K | -5% | 1,160 |
| Kansas | $37K | -6% | 440 |
| Missouri | $37K | -6% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -7% | 900 |
| Texas | $37K | -7% | 16,610 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -7% | 770 |
| Georgia | $37K | -8% | 3,100 |
| Nevada | $37K | -8% | 1,030 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -9% | 3,910 |
| Alabama | $36K | -9% | 1,710 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -10% | 1,820 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -10% | 350 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -11% | 960 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -15% | 1,140 |
| Wyoming | $31K | -21% | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 67.6% 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 $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 91% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair worker a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $37,370 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers can clear $48,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,532/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 67.6% 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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair 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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers salary is worth about $38,301 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair 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.