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

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

In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan area, truck drivers earned a median of $53,280 a year ($25.61 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,130 of these jobs there. That is 12% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $41,810 and $78,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $43,373 in take-home pay.

Truck driver pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance

Median salary

$53,280$25.61 per hour · $4,440 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$41,810$20.10/hr
25th percentile$46,890$22.54/hr
75th percentile$61,670$29.65/hr
90th percentile$78,990$37.98/hr
Jobs in this metro2,130Location quotient 0.47 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here12% belowAll-jobs median $60,720
Against North Carolina3% aboveStatewide median $51,530
Against the U.S.9% belowNational median $58,640

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.

Truck driver salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes

$53,280
$20,000$110,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$53,280
Net 81%
Fed 8%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$43,373After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,614Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,668Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,214 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,617 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,076 / yr

Truck drivers 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 truck drivers earned in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$20.10/hr$3,484$41,810$34,615
25th percentile$22.54/hr$3,908$46,890$38,494
MedianMedian$25.61/hr$4,440$53,280$43,373
75th percentile$29.65/hr$5,139$61,670$49,780
90th percentile$37.98/hr$6,583$78,990$61,756

Is $53,280 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 truck drivers 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 household63.8%of area median income

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

Truck driver pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for truck drivers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $53,280 in May 2025, about $4,440 a month or $25.61 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $51,530, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for truck drivers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $25.61 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.10 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.98.

How many truck drivers work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

BLS estimated 2,130 jobs for truck drivers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.47 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for truck drivers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $41,810 at the 10th percentile to $46,890 at the 25th, $61,670 at the 75th, and $78,990 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $53,280, an estimated $43,373 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,668 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,907 (an effective rate of 18.6%).

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

On the median annual salary of $53,280, gross monthly income is $4,440. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,614 per month (or $1,668 every two weeks).

Is $53,280 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?

At $53,280, the median salary for truck drivers is 63.8% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 12% 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.