Jobs, pay and daily life in Durham, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Durham is a city in North Carolina with 291,467 residents. The median household earns $81,619 a year and the median rent is $1,508 a month, which is 22.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 344,020 jobs.
How Durham compares. Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Durham is #4 by population, #17 for college degrees (#1 = most), #25 for remote work (#1 = most), #31 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Durham County, is #1 of 100 counties for average pay ($98,601).
Durham has 291,467 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.7% of the population of North Carolina. It covers 119 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,453 people per square mile. The median age is 35.1, 10% younger than the state median (35.1 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $1,508 a month (rent plus utilities), 23% above the state median ($1,508 against $1,228). Over a year that is 22.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $392,800, which is 4.8 times the median household income ($81,619). 52.3% of households own their home, 21% below the state average (52.3% against 66.6%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area has 344,020 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $60,720 a year, 19% above the national median ($60,720 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are healthcare practitioners and technical (36,330 jobs, median $82,090); office and administrative support (33,760 jobs, median $47,840); educational instruction and library (29,220 jobs, median $60,760). The area is most specialised in life, physical, and social science (4.1 times) and computer and mathematical (2.1 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($139,480) and computer and mathematical ($130,020). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Durham County was 2.8%. 69.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Durham County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 62.2% drive alone, 1.9% use public transit, 2.2% walk, 23.4% work from home. 8.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 38% below the state average (8.6% against 13.9%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
57.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 61% above the state share (57.3% against 35.6%). 15.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 70% above the state share (15.4% against 9.1%). The poverty rate is 11.7%, 10% below the state rate (11.7% against 13.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 38°F (3.4°C). About 1,187 mm (47 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (127 mm) and Jan the driest (72 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Chapel Hill (9 miles, rent 7% higher); Morrisville (10 miles, rent 23% higher); Carrboro (11 miles, similar rent); Hillsborough (13 miles, rent 9% lower). Rent differences are against Durham; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Carolina (495) →State guide: North CarolinaCountry guideDurham CountyNorth Carolina rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 495 federal postings open in North Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in North Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 9,790 | 2.62 | $135,620 | $100,670 | $209,410 | -0% |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,850 | 0.68 | $31,790 | $23,990 | $45,620 | -10% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 5,820 | 2.74 | $46,860 | $38,610 | $59,010 | +2% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,350 | 0.63 | $29,170 | $22,590 | $37,860 | -7% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,250 | 0.80 | $37,750 | $18,620 | $47,620 | -6% |
| Cashiers | 4,840 | 0.71 | $29,920 | $23,200 | $38,440 | -9% |
| Nursing Assistants | 4,830 | 1.51 | $40,560 | $36,830 | $49,320 | -4% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 4,660 | 0.81 | $46,800 | $31,840 | $62,360 | +5% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 4,520 | 3.18 | $29,190 | $23,260 | $35,610 | -6% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,180 | 0.77 | $47,010 | $28,960 | $60,740 | +4% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 4,170 | 2.81 | $176,190 | $124,110 | $320,010 | +1% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 3,830 | 1.59 | $95,460 | $53,520 | $146,470 | +15% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,690 | 0.59 | $36,410 | $29,790 | $48,050 | -2% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,560 | 0.71 | $35,230 | $18,020 | $62,540 | +0% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,400 | 0.44 | $113,930 | $54,140 | $270,290 | +8% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 3,300 | 1.19 | $72,460 | $42,380 | $171,940 | +4% |
| Project Management Specialists | 3,180 | 1.35 | $104,870 | $66,000 | $168,210 | +2% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,150 | 0.64 | $36,590 | $28,340 | $44,340 | -1% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 3,120 | 0.83 | $47,840 | $34,890 | $62,550 | +1% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 3,060 | 0.96 | $85,090 | $60,620 | $152,900 | +2% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Managers | 1,150 | 0.81 | $190,370 | $82,880 | $337,780 | +28% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,050 | 8.52 | $183,540 | $117,370 | $317,740 | +10% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 4,170 | 2.81 | $176,190 | $124,110 | $320,010 | +1% |
| Marketing Managers | 1,230 | 1.41 | $175,160 | $106,960 | $288,350 | +5% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 860 | 1.77 | $172,480 | $129,900 | $267,480 | +1% |
| Financial Managers | 1,710 | 0.92 | $165,470 | $101,690 | $320,540 | -1% |
| Human Resources Managers | 630 | 1.28 | $160,580 | $103,300 | $298,410 | +8% |
| Managers, All Other | 2,340 | 1.70 | $152,090 | $83,520 | $297,240 | +7% |
| Computer Network Architects | 970 | 2.43 | $144,990 | $104,310 | $184,780 | +8% |
| Database Architects | 560 | 3.78 | $141,770 | $87,070 | $172,430 | +2% |
| Pharmacists | 1,150 | 1.62 | $141,360 | $102,870 | $165,740 | +0% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 620 | 1.14 | $137,950 | $86,710 | $216,320 | +9% |
| Software Developers | 9,790 | 2.62 | $135,620 | $100,670 | $209,410 | -0% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,740 | 1.31 | $133,970 | $83,590 | $276,280 | +8% |
| Lawyers | 1,220 | 0.73 | $132,790 | $61,390 | $333,510 | -17% |
| Physician Assistants | 740 | 2.07 | $132,670 | $107,420 | $168,950 | -2% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,450 | 2.02 | $132,300 | $108,200 | $167,060 | +0% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 1,920 | 3.04 | $131,120 | $62,990 | $206,290 | +25% |
| Information Security Analysts | 860 | 2.04 | $129,670 | $83,900 | $170,990 | +0% |
| Electrical Engineers | 1,020 | 2.31 | $129,030 | $78,280 | $213,300 | +7% |
These figures are for the whole Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $60,720 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 34.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 17.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.3% |
| Retail trade | 7.2% |
| Manufacturing | 7.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.2% |
| Construction | 5.5% |
| Public administration | 4.0% |
| Other services | 3.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.2% |
| Information | 1.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Durham lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Orange County, Wake County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham County | 332,353 | $53,291 million | $160,344 | 236,749 | 11,695 | $98,601 | +1.5% | 2.8% | 186,784 |
| Orange County | 149,678 | $13,069 million | $87,312 | 78,431 | 5,494 | $79,229 | +0.8% | 2.8% | 78,148 |
| Wake County | 1,178,653 | $128,428 million | $108,962 | 653,153 | 50,997 | $76,807 | +2.1% | 2.8% | 698,382 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 39,876 | 18.6% | $76,521 | 1.17 |
| Professional and technical services | 34,629 | 16.2% | $137,833 | 2.10 |
| Manufacturing | 23,508 | 11.0% | $142,897 | 1.21 |
| Educational services | 23,108 | 10.8% | $111,417 | 4.72 |
| Accommodation and food services | 15,505 | 7.2% | $29,329 | 0.72 |
| Retail trade | 14,010 | 6.5% | $41,743 | 0.59 |
| Administrative and waste services | 11,976 | 5.6% | $57,602 | 0.86 |
| Finance and insurance | 10,950 | 5.1% | $143,800 | 1.14 |
| Wholesale trade | 7,957 | 3.7% | $137,956 | 0.85 |
| Construction | 6,425 | 3.0% | $82,634 | 0.52 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5,631 | 2.6% | $46,111 | 0.56 |
| Management of companies | 5,446 | 2.5% | $205,108 | 1.36 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5,286 | 2.5% | $59,756 | 0.74 |
| Information | 4,236 | 2.0% | $193,417 | 0.95 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,988 | 1.4% | $73,386 | 0.81 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,247 | 1.0% | $35,939 | 0.56 |
| Utilities | 408 | 0.2% | $97,403 | 0.45 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 62.2% |
| Public transit | 1.9% |
| Walk | 2.2% |
| Work from home | 23.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,619 |
| Income per person | $49,636 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,508 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.2% |
| Median home value | $392,800 |
| Homeowners | 52.3% |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 97.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $60,720 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.99%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 57.3% |
| Born abroad | 15.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 69.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.4 | 38 | 72 |
| Feb | 5.2 | 41 | 74 |
| Mar | 9.5 | 49 | 96 |
| Apr | 15.2 | 59 | 91 |
| May | 20.0 | 68 | 99 |
| Jun | 24.7 | 76 | 118 |
| Jul | 26.7 | 80 | 122 |
| Aug | 25.8 | 78 | 127 |
| Sep | 22.2 | 72 | 119 |
| Oct | 16.0 | 61 | 87 |
| Nov | 9.7 | 49 | 88 |
| Dec | 5.7 | 42 | 94 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | NC | 9 mi | 61,607 | $85,989 | $1,613 |
| Morrisville | NC | 10 mi | 31,422 | $125,396 | $1,858 |
| Carrboro | NC | 11 mi | 21,204 | $85,743 | $1,470 |
| Hillsborough | NC | 13 mi | 9,724 | $98,163 | $1,368 |
| Cary | NC | 14 mi | 179,306 | $134,905 | $1,738 |
| Apex | NC | 17 mi | 70,630 | $144,135 | $1,902 |
| Raleigh | NC | 18 mi | 481,031 | $85,395 | $1,572 |
| Wake Forest | NC | 22 mi | 52,844 | $123,802 | $1,596 |
| Mebane | NC | 22 mi | 19,538 | $83,174 | $1,283 |
| Holly Springs | NC | 23 mi | 45,248 | $135,578 | $2,021 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
291,467 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,508 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.2% of the median household income.
$81,619 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.8% (BLS county, Durham County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.