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

How much does an elementary school teacher make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, elementary school teachers earned a median of $51,400 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,430 of these jobs there. That is 15% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $46,580 and $62,440; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $41,938 in take-home pay.

Elementary school teacher pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance

Median salary

$51,400$4,283 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$46,580—
25th percentile$46,580—
75th percentile$59,630—
90th percentile$62,440—
Jobs in this metro2,430Location quotient 0.79 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here15% belowAll-jobs median $60,720
Against North Carolina6% belowStatewide median $54,930
Against the U.S.20% belowNational median $63,970

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.

Elementary school teacher salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes

$51,400
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$51,400
Net 82%
Fed 8%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$41,938After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,495Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,613Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,988 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,542 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,932 / yr

Elementary school teachers 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 elementary school teachers earned in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile—$3,882$46,580$38,257
25th percentile—$3,882$46,580$38,257
MedianMedian—$4,283$51,400$41,938
75th percentile—$4,969$59,630$48,222
90th percentile—$5,203$62,440$50,368

Is $51,400 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 elementary school teachers 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 household61.6%of area median income

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

Elementary school teacher pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for elementary school teachers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for elementary school teachers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $51,400 in May 2025, about $4,283 a month. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $54,930, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

Is there an hourly rate for elementary school teachers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many elementary school teachers work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS estimated 2,430 jobs for elementary school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.79 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for elementary school teachers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS wage estimates for elementary school teachers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $46,580 at the 10th percentile to $46,580 at the 25th, $59,630 at the 75th, and $62,440 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do elementary school teachers take home after taxes in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

On a median gross salary of $51,400, an estimated $41,938 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,613 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,462 (an effective rate of 18.4%).

How much do elementary school teachers make per month in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

On the median annual salary of $51,400, gross monthly income is $4,283. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,495 per month (or $1,613 every two weeks).

Is $51,400 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

At $51,400, the median salary for elementary school teachers is 61.6% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 15% 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.