Lawyers Salary
Lawyers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $132,790 a year, or about $63.84 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $334K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $136,097 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,711/month, or 20.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $133K 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.
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for lawyers in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $160K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,711/month, 21.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Durham-Chapel Hill can be a reasonable trade-off for lawyerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for lawyers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $157K | $161K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $132K | $134K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $127K | $137K |
| Winston-Salem | $126K | $137K |
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 lawyers (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $133K. Top earners bring in $334K or more, a $272K spread from bottom to top.
Lawyers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Lawyers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $208K | +30% | 91,870 |
| District of Columbia | $195K | +22% | 33,070 |
| California | $195K | +22% | 95,770 |
| Massachusetts | $177K | +11% | 23,560 |
| Delaware | $174K | +9% | 2,920 |
| Colorado | $169K | +6% | 16,720 |
| Virginia | $167K | +5% | 18,580 |
| Connecticut | $164K | +2% | 8,420 |
| New Jersey | $161K | +1% | 23,160 |
| Illinois | $161K | +1% | 33,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $157K | -2% | 27,170 |
| Minnesota | $155K | -3% | 12,380 |
| Texas | $154K | -3% | 56,580 |
| Washington | $154K | -3% | 12,770 |
| Nevada | $151K | -6% | 6,490 |
| Alaska | $150K | -6% | 1,120 |
| Maryland | $139K | -13% | 13,810 |
| Rhode Island | $139K | -13% | 1,840 |
| Oregon | $138K | -13% | 7,150 |
| Tennessee | $136K | -15% | 9,010 |
| Georgia | $135K | -16% | 23,930 |
| Arizona | $134K | -16% | 11,640 |
| Missouri | $133K | -16% | 11,560 |
| Florida | $133K | -17% | 55,210 |
| Utah | $133K | -17% | 7,020 |
| Alabama | $132K | -17% | 6,730 |
| Ohio | $131K | -18% | 19,950 |
| Michigan | $131K | -18% | 16,620 |
| North Carolina | $128K | -20% | 17,000 |
| Vermont | $127K | -20% | 1,330 |
| Indiana | $127K | -21% | 8,970 |
| Wisconsin | $127K | -21% | 9,160 |
| Hawaii | $125K | -22% | 2,270 |
| Iowa | $124K | -23% | 3,550 |
| New Hampshire | $121K | -24% | 2,250 |
| South Carolina | $120K | -25% | 7,890 |
| New Mexico | $120K | -25% | 3,380 |
| Maine | $113K | -29% | 2,280 |
| Nebraska | $109K | -32% | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $107K | -33% | 1,050 |
| Kansas | $107K | -33% | 4,190 |
| Louisiana | $104K | -35% | 10,200 |
| Montana | $104K | -35% | 2,380 |
| Idaho | $103K | -35% | 2,490 |
| Oklahoma | $103K | -35% | 6,980 |
| West Virginia | $102K | -36% | 2,440 |
| South Dakota | $102K | -36% | 1,360 |
| Kentucky | $102K | -36% | 5,770 |
| Wyoming | $100K | -37% | 900 |
| Arkansas | $99K | -38% | 3,430 |
| Mississippi | $92K | -43% | 3,100 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a lawyer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes — at the median salary of $133K, rent takes 21.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for lawyers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lawyers typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,683/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is lawyer a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $133K here vs. $160K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for lawyers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $133K median vs. the U.S. average of $160K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $136K — below the national median.
How much do lawyers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $132,790 a year, that works out to about $64 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,390, and experienced lawyers can clear $333,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $133K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,962/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 21.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a lawyers 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 lawyers salary is worth about $136,097 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lawyers 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.