Library Assistants, Clerical Salary
Library Assistants, Clericals in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $46,940 a year, or about $22.57 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $48,109 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 52.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K 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 library assistants, clericals
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Durham-Chapel Hill sits well above the national pay line for library assistants, clerical, local pay runs about 27% higher than the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 54.5% 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 library assistants, clericals in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | $31K | $34K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $37K | $38K |
| Asheville | $37K | $39K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $37K | $38K |
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 library assistants, clericals (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Library Assistants, Clerical pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Library Assistants, Clerical salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $59K | +61% | 100 |
| California | $48K | +30% | 11,170 |
| Washington | $48K | +29% | 2,810 |
| Nevada | $47K | +26% | 660 |
| Maryland | $46K | +24% | 730 |
| Alaska | $45K | +21% | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $43K | +15% | 2,840 |
| Oregon | $42K | +15% | 1,090 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +8% | 1,770 |
| New Jersey | $40K | +8% | 3,120 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | +7% | 1,570 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +6% | 1,810 |
| Montana | $39K | +6% | 160 |
| Arizona | $38K | +3% | 1,560 |
| Wyoming | $38K | +3% | N/A |
| Virginia | $38K | +3% | 2,170 |
| Maine | $38K | +3% | 540 |
| Florida | $38K | +3% | 3,630 |
| Tennessee | $37K | +1% | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +1% | 990 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +1% | 370 |
| Delaware | $37K | +0% | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -1% | 510 |
| Vermont | $36K | -1% | 350 |
| Georgia | $36K | -1% | 610 |
| Colorado | $36K | -2% | 470 |
| New York | $36K | -2% | 8,010 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -4% | 150 |
| Illinois | $35K | -6% | 6,620 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -6% | 1,330 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -6% | 60 |
| Michigan | $35K | -7% | 3,470 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -8% | 960 |
| Idaho | $34K | -8% | 920 |
| Missouri | $34K | -9% | 1,610 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -9% | 1,050 |
| Ohio | $33K | -9% | 5,240 |
| Utah | $33K | -11% | 820 |
| Kansas | $32K | -15% | 1,380 |
| Texas | $31K | -15% | 1,600 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -16% | 390 |
| West Virginia | $31K | -17% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -17% | 3,930 |
| Oklahoma | $30K | -20% | 800 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -20% | 720 |
| Iowa | $29K | -20% | 1,700 |
| Indiana | $29K | -22% | 1,830 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -24% | 440 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -24% | 310 |
| Alabama | $28K | -25% | 900 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track library assistants, clerical salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a library assistants, clerical afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 54.5% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for library assistants, clericals in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new library assistants, clericals typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,707/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 100% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is library assistants, clerical a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $47K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for library assistants, clericals?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do library assistants, clericals make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $46,940 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,450, and experienced library assistants, clericals can clear $47,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,137/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 54.5% 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 library assistants, clerical 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 library assistants, clerical salary is worth about $48,109 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do library assistants, clericals 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.