SOC 13-2031

Budget Analyst Salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + NC
COL Index: 135.43 (+35.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.3% Realized
$60,329 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $82,350 $39.59/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.74% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$17,080 $656.91/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $39.59 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,941/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,087/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,200
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,106
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,194
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,580
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$60,329 ($2,320.36 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Budget Analyst Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $82,350
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $64.5k 25th $77.4k Median: $82,350 50th (Median) $82.3k 75th $98.7k 90th $109k You: $82,350
10th (Entry) $64,470 $31.00/hr
25th (Junior) $77,410 $37.22/hr
50th (Median) $82,350 $39.59/hr
75th (Senior) $98,700 $47.45/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $108,670 $52.25/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Budget Analyst in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
1
Junior Budget AnalystFund accounting, budget variance tracking, financial reporting spreadsheets
$50,323$24.19/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Budget AnalystDepartmental appropriation requests, fiscal impact statements, revenue forecasting
$75,485$36.29/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Budget AnalystLegislative/board budget defense, capital expenditure planning, fiscal policy analysis
$98,849$47.52/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Budget DirectorEnterprise / municipal budget formulation, fiscal policy governance
$127,605$61.35/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC medianView National Budget Analyst Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Credit Analysts-$8,130/yr
National median: $83,510
Skill overlap: 95%
Accountants and Auditors-$7,960/yr
National median: $83,680
Skill overlap: 93%View Salary
Financial Managers+$74,930/yr
National median: $166,570
Skill overlap: 90%View Salary
Personal Financial Advisors+$13,430/yr
National median: $105,070
Skill overlap: 87%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
31% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,554/month Requires minimum annual gross of $62,160
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,745/month Requires minimum annual gross of $69,800
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $29.95/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $24.96/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$82,350-$17,080$60,329$2,320.36
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$97,791-$22,033$69,890$2,688.08
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$113,231-$26,987$79,451$3,055.80
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$128,672-$31,940$89,012$3,423.52
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$144,113-$37,167$98,299$3,780.73
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Budget Analyst in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and North Carolina tax codes.

Market Baseline
$82,350/yr
$39.59/hr · SOC 13-2031
Statutory Tax Drag
20.74% Effective
-$17,080 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
31% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,473/mo
Post-$1,554/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 13-2031
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Budget Analyst in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: Market Snapshot

Budget Analyst roles in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC report a median annual wage of $82,350, 10.1% below the national median of $91,640. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $64,470 to $108,670, and HUD’s $1,554 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 22.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $29.95 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Budget Analyst

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Iowa City, IA$134,850+63.8%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$131,730+60.0%
Ann Arbor, MI$127,860+55.3%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$125,050+51.9%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$117,360+42.5%
Huntsville, AL$113,400+37.7%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$110,470+34.1%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$107,010+29.9%
Gainesville, GA$106,610+29.5%
Lexington Park, MD$106,280+29.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$381,330$183.33/hr
Sales Managers$190,370$91.52/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$183,540$88.24/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$176,190$84.71/hr
Marketing Managers$175,160$84.21/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$172,480$82.92/hr
Financial Manager$165,470$79.55/hr
Human Resources Managers$160,580$77.20/hr
Purchasing Managers$160,370$77.10/hr
Data Engineer$141,770$68.16/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 174 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Budget Analyst Salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (2026) Overview

Budget Analyst median pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $82,350 a year ($39.59/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Budget Analyst in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

The median annual wage is $82,350 ($39.59 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $64,470 and $108,670. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Budget Analyst in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $82,350, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $63,986 a year ($5,332 a month) after $18,364 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.3%, using 2026 tax rules.