Registered Nurse (RN) 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
Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine
Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Registered Nurse (RN) Wage Distribution
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders
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.
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.
Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator
Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.
Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
Registered Nurse (RN) 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.
Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways
Statutory Withholding Architecture
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
- 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
Registered Nurse (RN) in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: Market Snapshot
BLS publishes no Registered Nurse (RN) wage estimate for Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, so this page uses the national median of $97,550 (10th to 90th percentile $68,940 to $137,470). HUD’s $1,554 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 19.1% of that national median. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $29.95 per hour.
Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Registered Nurse (RN)
| Metropolitan area | Median annual wage | Vs national median |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | +122.2% |
| Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | +108.4% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | +91.3% |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | +78.9% |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | +75.8% |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | +75.3% |
| Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | +53.1% |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $144,350 | +48.0% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | +43.0% |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | +42.8% |
Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Median 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, 380 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.
Related Healthcare Roles in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Roles in related occupations with transferable skills and overlapping employer demand.
Other Metros for Registered Nurse (RN)
Regional metropolitan labor markets within commuter or relocation distance with local BLS wages and living costs.
Registered Nurse (RN) median pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $97,550 a year ($46.90/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Registered Nurse (RN) in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
The median annual wage is $97,550 ($46.90 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $68,940 and $137,470. Source: the national BLS OEWS distribution, because BLS does not publish this occupation for the metro.
On the median wage of $97,550, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $74,073 a year ($6,173 a month) after $23,477 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 24.07%, using 2026 tax rules.