SOC 19-1029 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro

Biological Scientists, All Other Salary in Durham, NC

The average salary for other biological scientists in Durham, North Carolina is $102,680 a year ($49.37 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $98,700: half of the 1,390 people in this job in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 3% less than the U.S. average for this job ($106,330).

$102,680average per year

$49.37 / hourMedian $98,700Take-home ≈ $77,477

  • $64K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $99KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $142K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,390people in this job
-3%vs U.S. average
#5 of 7North Carolina metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Biological Scientists, All Other pay range in Durham

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $142,500 or more. The middle half of other biological scientists in Durham earn between $77,760 and $120,310.

  • $64K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $99KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $142K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$102,680$8,557$49.37
Median$98,700$8,225$47.45
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,760$6,480$37.38
Experienced (75th percentile)$120,310$10,026$57.84

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Biological Scientists, All Other pay in Durham vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Other biological scientists in Durham earn about the same as the North Carolina average ($105,590) and 3% less than the U.S. average ($106,330). At the median the gap is -0% against the U.S. median of $98,920.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Durham$102,680$98,700$64,200$142,5001,390
North Carolina$105,590$100,070$65,460$152,1702,780
United States$106,330$98,920$60,430$168,01055,850

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Biological Scientists, All Other salary after taxes in Durham

On the average salary of $102,680, a single filer in Durham takes home about $77,477 a year, or $6,456 a month and $2,980 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Durham a good place for other biological scientists? 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 $102,680 buys what about $105,235 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 4.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $102,680 is worth in another city

Biological Scientists, All Other salary in other North Carolina cities

Durham ranks 5th of 7 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Raleigh pays the most ($113,190).

All Biological Scientists, All Other salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for other biological scientists

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($148,020).

Biological Scientists, All Other salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Biological Scientists, All Other in Durham, NC.

Biological Scientists, All Other salary in Durham: questions

How much do other biological scientists make an hour in Durham?

$49.37 an hour on average, and $47.45 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level other biological scientists salary in Durham?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,760, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the other biological scientists take-home pay in Durham?

About $77,477 a year ($6,456 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $102,680.

Do other biological scientists earn more in Durham than elsewhere?

The average here is 3% less than the U.S. average for this job ($106,330).

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 19-1029; area Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 11.28, this job is 11.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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