Producers and Directors Salary
The median pay for a producers and directors in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $69,820/year ($33.57/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $71,559 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 36.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $70K actually covers in Durham-Chapel Hill, month by month
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 producers and directors
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for producers and directors in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $90K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 37.8% 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for producers and directors.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for producers and directors in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $75K | $77K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $67K | $69K |
| Asheville | $63K | $65K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $62K | $67K |
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 producers and directors (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $92K spread from bottom to top.
Producers and Directors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Producers and Directors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $130K | +44% | 34,110 |
| New Jersey | $120K | +33% | 2,970 |
| New York | $108K | +19% | 27,990 |
| District of Columbia | $104K | +15% | 2,640 |
| Connecticut | $88K | -2% | 2,200 |
| Oregon | $87K | -3% | 1,640 |
| Rhode Island | $84K | -7% | 560 |
| Washington | $82K | -10% | 2,270 |
| Illinois | $81K | -10% | 3,170 |
| Massachusetts | $81K | -10% | 3,440 |
| Georgia | $80K | -12% | 5,010 |
| Florida | $80K | -12% | 7,160 |
| Maryland | $79K | -12% | 1,610 |
| Nevada | $78K | -13% | 1,630 |
| Colorado | $78K | -14% | 1,960 |
| Minnesota | $76K | -15% | 1,390 |
| Utah | $76K | -16% | 1,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $75K | -16% | 4,200 |
| Tennessee | $73K | -19% | 2,920 |
| Delaware | $73K | -20% | 150 |
| Texas | $72K | -21% | 6,610 |
| Maine | $71K | -21% | 400 |
| Ohio | $69K | -23% | 1,610 |
| Arizona | $67K | -25% | 1,720 |
| Missouri | $66K | -26% | 1,630 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -27% | 1,600 |
| Hawaii | $66K | -27% | 510 |
| Virginia | $66K | -27% | 2,820 |
| Michigan | $66K | -27% | 2,310 |
| North Carolina | $64K | -30% | 3,500 |
| Alabama | $63K | -30% | 1,040 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -30% | 880 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -32% | 770 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | -32% | 300 |
| Idaho | $61K | -32% | 380 |
| Kansas | $61K | -33% | 420 |
| Wyoming | $60K | -33% | 130 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -33% | 170 |
| Indiana | $60K | -34% | 1,480 |
| Iowa | $59K | -35% | 720 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -36% | 170 |
| South Carolina | $56K | -38% | 1,190 |
| Vermont | $56K | -38% | 290 |
| Kentucky | $55K | -40% | 950 |
| Alaska | $54K | -40% | 160 |
| Montana | $53K | -42% | 390 |
| Nebraska | $53K | -42% | 470 |
| Mississippi | $48K | -47% | 390 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -48% | 230 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -57% | 700 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track producers and directors salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a producers and director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 37.8% 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 $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for producers and directors in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new producers and directors typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,894/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 90% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is producers and director a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $70K here vs. $90K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for producers and directors?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $90K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — below the national median.
How much do producers and directors make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $69,820 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,270, and experienced producers and directors can clear $119,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,530/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 37.8% 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 producers and directors 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 producers and directors salary is worth about $71,559 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do producers and directors 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.