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

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

In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $132,790 a year ($63.84 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,220 of these jobs there. That is 119% above the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $61,390 and $333,510; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $97,238 in take-home pay.

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

Median salary

$132,790$63.84 per hour · $11,066 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$61,390$29.51/hr
25th percentile$79,010$37.99/hr
75th percentile$207,870$99.94/hr
90th percentile$333,510$160.34/hr
Jobs in this metro1,220Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here119% aboveAll-jobs median $60,720
Against North Carolina4% aboveStatewide median $127,710
Against the U.S.17% belowNational median $159,670

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.

Lawyer salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes

$132,790
$50,000$270,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$132,790
Net 73%
Fed 16%
NC 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$97,238After all taxes
Monthly deposit$8,103Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,740Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate26.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$20,604 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$4,790 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$10,158 / yr

Lawyers 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 lawyers earned in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$29.51/hr$5,116$61,390$49,566
25th percentile$37.99/hr$6,584$79,010$61,770
MedianMedian$63.84/hr$11,066$132,790$97,238
75th percentile$99.94/hr$17,323$207,870$146,938
90th percentile$160.34/hr$27,793$333,510$223,372

Is $132,790 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 lawyers 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 household159%of area median income

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

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

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

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $132,790 in May 2025, about $11,066 a month or $63.84 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $127,710, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $63.84 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $29.51 an hour and one in ten earned more than $160.34.

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

BLS estimated 1,220 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.73 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $61,390 at the 10th percentile to $79,010 at the 25th, $207,870 at the 75th, and $333,510 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $132,790, an estimated $97,238 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,740 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $35,552 (an effective rate of 26.8%).

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

On the median annual salary of $132,790, gross monthly income is $11,066. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $8,103 per month (or $3,740 every two weeks).

Is $132,790 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

At $132,790, the median salary for lawyers is 159% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 119% above 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.