SOC 11-3111

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

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 70.8% Realized
$74,546 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $105,310 $50.63/hr
Effective Tax Drag 23.21% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$24,445 $940.21/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 $50.63 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,319/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,390/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$12,948
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,529
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,527
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,441
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$74,546 ($2,867.16 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Compensation and Benefits Managers Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $105,310
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $63.7k 25th $63.7k Median: $105,310 50th (Median) $105k 75th $135k 90th $183k You: $105,310
10th (Entry) $63,740 $30.64/hr
25th (Junior) $63,740 $30.64/hr
50th (Median) $105,310 $50.63/hr
75th (Senior) $135,400 $65.10/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $182,530 $87.75/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Compensation and Benefits Managers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
1
Compensation & Benefits AnalystBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$62,947$30.26/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior Analyst, Total RewardsDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$79,884$38.41/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Compensation & Benefits ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$105,289$50.62/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Senior Manager, Total RewardsOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$141,561$68.06/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Director of Total RewardsExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$181,080$87.06/hr · 14+ Years
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists-$71,020/yr
National median: $78,210
Skill overlap: 96%
Human Resources Specialists-$73,290/yr
National median: $75,940
Skill overlap: 93%
Labor Relations Specialists-$53,810/yr
National median: $95,420
Skill overlap: 93%
Human Resources Managers+$50/yr
National median: $149,280
Skill overlap: 89%View Salary
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)
25% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
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$105,310-$24,445$74,546$2,867.16
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$125,056-$30,780$86,772$3,337.40
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$144,801-$37,401$98,713$3,796.64
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$164,547-$44,106$110,568$4,252.60
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$184,293-$50,812$122,423$4,708.57
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

Compensation and Benefits Managers 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
$105,310/yr
$50.63/hr · SOC 11-3111
Statutory Tax Drag
23.21% Effective
-$24,445 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
25% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,658/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 11-3111
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

Compensation and Benefits Managers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: Market Snapshot

Compensation and Benefits Managers roles in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC report a median annual wage of $105,310, 29.4% below the national median of $149,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $63,740 to $182,530, and HUD’s $1,554 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $29.95 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Compensation and Benefits Managers

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$221,800+110.6%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$218,860+107.8%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$216,580+105.7%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$215,180+104.3%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$188,850+79.3%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$186,700+77.3%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$185,590+76.2%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$179,730+70.7%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$171,950+63.3%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$168,850+60.3%

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, 90 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.

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Overview

Compensation & Benefits Managers median pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $105,310 a year ($50.63/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Compensation and Benefits Managers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

The median annual wage is $105,310 ($50.63 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $63,740 and $182,530. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $105,310, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $79,222 a year ($6,602 a month) after $26,088 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 24.77%, using 2026 tax rules.