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

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

In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, medical secretaries earned a median of $46,860 a year ($22.53 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,820 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,610 and $59,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,471 in take-home pay.

Medical secretary pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance

Median salary

$46,860$22.53 per hour · $3,905 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,610$18.56/hr
25th percentile$39,990$19.23/hr
75th percentile$49,830$23.96/hr
90th percentile$59,010$28.37/hr
Jobs in this metro5,820Location quotient 2.74 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $60,720
Against North Carolina6% aboveStatewide median $44,190
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $45,930

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.

Medical secretary salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes

$46,860
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,860
Net 82%
Fed 7%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,471After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,206Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,480Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,443 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,361 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,585 / yr

Medical secretaries 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 medical secretaries earned in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$18.56/hr$3,218$38,610$32,171
25th percentile$19.23/hr$3,333$39,990$33,225
MedianMedian$22.53/hr$3,905$46,860$38,471
75th percentile$23.96/hr$4,153$49,830$40,739
90th percentile$28.37/hr$4,918$59,010$47,749

Is $46,860 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 medical secretaries 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 household56.1%of area median income

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

Medical secretary pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for medical secretaries in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $46,860 in May 2025, about $3,905 a month or $22.53 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $44,190, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for medical secretaries in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $22.53 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.56 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.37.

How many medical secretaries work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS estimated 5,820 jobs for medical secretaries in the metro in May 2025, or 16.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.74 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for medical secretaries in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $38,610 at the 10th percentile to $39,990 at the 25th, $49,830 at the 75th, and $59,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $46,860, an estimated $38,471 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,480 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,389 (an effective rate of 17.9%).

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

On the median annual salary of $46,860, gross monthly income is $3,905. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,206 per month (or $1,480 every two weeks).

Is $46,860 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

At $46,860, the median salary for medical secretaries is 56.1% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 23% 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.