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

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

In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, software developers earned a median of $135,620 a year ($65.20 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,790 of these jobs there. That is 123% above the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $100,670 and $209,410; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $99,060 in take-home pay.

Software developer pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance

Median salary

$135,620$65.20 per hour · $11,302 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$100,670$48.40/hr
25th percentile$128,290$61.68/hr
75th percentile$168,720$81.12/hr
90th percentile$209,410$100.68/hr
Jobs in this metro9,790Location quotient 2.62 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here123% aboveAll-jobs median $60,720
Against North Carolina1% aboveStatewide median $134,710
Against the U.S.about the same asNational median $135,980

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.

Software developer salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes

$135,620
$50,000$275,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$135,620
Net 73%
Fed 16%
NC 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$99,060After all taxes
Monthly deposit$8,255Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,810Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate27%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$21,283 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$4,903 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$10,375 / yr

Software developers 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 software developers earned in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$48.40/hr$8,389$100,670$76,143
25th percentile$61.68/hr$10,691$128,290$94,342
MedianMedian$65.20/hr$11,302$135,620$99,060
75th percentile$81.12/hr$14,060$168,720$120,363
90th percentile$100.68/hr$17,451$209,410$148,011

Is $135,620 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 software developers 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 household162.4%of area median income

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

Software developer pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for software developers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $135,620 in May 2025, about $11,302 a month or $65.20 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $134,710, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for software developers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $65.20 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $48.40 an hour and one in ten earned more than $100.68.

How many software developers work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS estimated 9,790 jobs for software developers in the metro in May 2025, or 28.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.62 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for software developers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $100,670 at the 10th percentile to $128,290 at the 25th, $168,720 at the 75th, and $209,410 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $135,620, an estimated $99,060 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,810 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $36,560 (an effective rate of 27%).

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

On the median annual salary of $135,620, gross monthly income is $11,302. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $8,255 per month (or $3,810 every two weeks).

Is $135,620 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

At $135,620, the median salary for software developers is 162.4% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 123% 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.