Bartenders pay range in Durham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $72,350 or more. The middle half of bartenders in Durham earn between $22,530 and $60,100.
- $17K10th
- $23K25th
- $37KMedian
- $60K75th
- $72K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $42,080 | $3,507 | $20.23 |
| Median | $37,110 | $3,092 | $17.84 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $22,530 | $1,878 | $10.83 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $60,100 | $5,008 | $28.89 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Bartenders salary after taxes in Durham
On the average salary of $42,080, a single filer in Durham takes home about $34,821 a year, or $2,902 a month and $1,339 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Durham a good place for bartenders? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $42,080 buys what about $43,127 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Bartenders salary in other North Carolina cities
Durham ranks 4th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Wilmington pays the most ($43,400).
- Wilmington$43,400
- Charlotte$43,270
- Pinehurst$42,630
- Durham$42,080
- Raleigh$41,500
- Winston-Salem$40,710
- Asheville$40,220
- Rocky Mount$39,290
- Burlington$39,140
- Greensboro$38,740
Highest-paying cities for bartenders
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,360).
- Kahului, HI$91,360
- Honolulu, HI$72,660
- New York, NY$63,630
- Seattle, WA$62,090
- Portland, ME$60,600
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Bartenders salary in Durham: questions
How much do bartenders make an hour in Durham?
$20.23 an hour on average, and $17.84 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level bartenders salary in Durham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,530, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the bartenders take-home pay in Durham?
About $34,821 a year ($2,902 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,080.
Do bartenders earn more in Durham than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($41,635).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3011; area Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.2%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.71, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.71).
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