Speech-Language Pathologists Salary
The median pay for a speech-language pathologists in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $83,460/year ($40.13/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $126K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $85,539 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $83K 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 speech-language pathologists
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for speech-language pathologists in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $98K. Rent runs $1,711/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.4% 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 speech-language pathologists in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $91K | $93K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $87K | $89K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $79K | $85K |
| Winston-Salem | $86K | $93K |
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 speech-language pathologists (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $126K or more, a $65K spread from bottom to top.
Speech-Language Pathologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Speech-Language Pathologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $119K | +22% | 16,930 |
| Colorado | $111K | +13% | 4,420 |
| District of Columbia | $109K | +12% | 390 |
| Washington | $106K | +8% | 3,570 |
| Nevada | $105K | +7% | 1,270 |
| Rhode Island | $104K | +6% | 720 |
| Delaware | $103K | +5% | 690 |
| Alaska | $103K | +5% | 340 |
| Oregon | $103K | +5% | 1,600 |
| New Jersey | $102K | +4% | 6,840 |
| Massachusetts | $101K | +4% | 5,290 |
| New York | $101K | +3% | 15,310 |
| Connecticut | $100K | +2% | 2,390 |
| Florida | $100K | +2% | 10,080 |
| Texas | $100K | +2% | 19,120 |
| Maryland | $99K | +1% | 3,510 |
| New Mexico | $99K | +1% | 1,250 |
| Arizona | $98K | -0% | 3,390 |
| Hawaii | $98K | -0% | 270 |
| Georgia | $97K | -1% | 4,030 |
| Virginia | $96K | -2% | 4,460 |
| Illinois | $95K | -3% | 9,040 |
| Ohio | $93K | -5% | 7,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $93K | -5% | 6,570 |
| Utah | $92K | -6% | 1,460 |
| South Carolina | $91K | -7% | 2,190 |
| Minnesota | $89K | -9% | 3,890 |
| Missouri | $89K | -9% | 3,230 |
| Michigan | $89K | -9% | 4,730 |
| Indiana | $87K | -11% | 3,310 |
| North Carolina | $86K | -12% | 5,600 |
| Tennessee | $85K | -14% | 3,320 |
| Oklahoma | $84K | -14% | 1,870 |
| Idaho | $84K | -14% | 1,210 |
| Nebraska | $84K | -14% | 1,310 |
| Arkansas | $84K | -15% | 2,430 |
| Kentucky | $84K | -15% | 2,610 |
| New Hampshire | $83K | -15% | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $83K | -15% | 2,940 |
| Maine | $83K | -16% | 640 |
| Vermont | $82K | -16% | 430 |
| Wyoming | $82K | -16% | 240 |
| Iowa | $81K | -17% | 1,540 |
| West Virginia | $81K | -17% | 880 |
| Kansas | $80K | -18% | 1,690 |
| Montana | $79K | -20% | 490 |
| Mississippi | $78K | -20% | 1,790 |
| North Dakota | $75K | -23% | 630 |
| Alabama | $74K | -25% | 2,060 |
| Louisiana | $70K | -29% | 3,000 |
| South Dakota | $66K | -33% | 410 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track speech-language pathologists 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 speech-language pathologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 32.4% 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 $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for speech-language pathologists in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new speech-language pathologists typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,615/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is speech-language pathologist a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $83K here vs. $98K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for speech-language pathologists?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — below the national median.
How much do speech-language pathologists make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $83,460 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,250, and experienced speech-language pathologists can clear $125,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,279/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 32.4% 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 speech-language pathologists 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 speech-language pathologists salary is worth about $85,539 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do speech-language pathologists 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.