Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bookkeeper make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, bookkeepers earned a median of $50,790 a year ($24.42 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,570 of these jobs there. That is 16% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,630 and $71,730; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $41,472 in take-home pay.

Bookkeeper pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance

Median salary

$50,790$24.42 per hour · $4,233 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,630$17.61/hr
25th percentile$44,760$21.52/hr
75th percentile$61,320$29.48/hr
90th percentile$71,730$34.49/hr
Jobs in this metro2,570Location quotient 0.85 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here16% belowAll-jobs median $60,720
Against North Carolina6% aboveStatewide median $47,930
Against the U.S.about the same asNational median $50,670

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bookkeeper salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes

$50,790
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$50,790
Net 82%
Fed 8%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$41,472After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,456Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,595Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,915 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,518 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,885 / yr

Bookkeepers pay range in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bookkeepers earned in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$17.61/hr$3,053$36,630$30,659
25th percentile$21.52/hr$3,730$44,760$36,867
MedianMedian$24.42/hr$4,233$50,790$41,472
75th percentile$29.48/hr$5,110$61,320$49,513
90th percentile$34.49/hr$5,978$71,730$56,939

Is $50,790 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bookkeepers next to both.

Median household income$83,500Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.62.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household60.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Bookkeeper pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for bookkeepers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for bookkeepers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $50,790 in May 2025, about $4,233 a month or $24.42 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $47,930, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for bookkeepers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

The median hourly wage for bookkeepers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $24.42 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $34.49.

How many bookkeepers work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS estimated 2,570 jobs for bookkeepers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.85 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS wage estimates for bookkeepers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $36,630 at the 10th percentile to $44,760 at the 25th, $61,320 at the 75th, and $71,730 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bookkeepers take home after taxes in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

On a median gross salary of $50,790, an estimated $41,472 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,595 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,318 (an effective rate of 18.3%).

How much do bookkeepers make per month in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

On the median annual salary of $50,790, gross monthly income is $4,233. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,456 per month (or $1,595 every two weeks).

Is $50,790 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

At $50,790, the median salary for bookkeepers is 60.8% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 16% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.6, so prices here run 2.4% below the U.S. average.