SOC 41-9022 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro

Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in Durham, NC

The average salary for real estate sales agents in Durham, North Carolina is $80,430 a year ($38.67 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $60,230: half of the 280 people in this job in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% more than the U.S. average for this job ($69,510).

$80,430average per year

$38.67 / hourMedian $60,230Take-home ≈ $62,712

  • $37K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $159K90th

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

280people in this job
+16%vs U.S. average
#2 of 9North Carolina metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Real Estate Sales Agents pay range in Durham

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,340 a year or less, while the top 10% make $159,370 or more. The middle half of real estate sales agents in Durham earn between $46,160 and $120,370.

  • $37K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $159K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$80,430$6,702$38.67
Median$60,230$5,019$28.96
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,160$3,847$22.19
Experienced (75th percentile)$120,370$10,031$57.87

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

Real Estate Sales Agents pay in Durham vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Real estate sales agents in Durham earn 8% more than the North Carolina average ($74,610) and 16% more than the U.S. average ($69,510). At the median the gap is +14% against the U.S. median of $52,830.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Durham$80,430$60,230$37,340$159,370280
North Carolina$74,610$51,240$27,940$126,3807,960
United States$69,510$52,830$32,970$123,590193,370

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

Real Estate Sales Agents salary after taxes in Durham

On the average salary of $80,430, a single filer in Durham takes home about $62,712 a year, or $5,226 a month and $2,412 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% 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 real estate sales agents? 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 $80,430 buys what about $82,431 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $80,430 is worth in another city

Real Estate Sales Agents salary in other North Carolina cities

Durham ranks 2nd of 9 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($85,150).

All Real Estate Sales Agents salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for real estate sales agents

Midland, TX pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,580).

Real Estate Sales Agents salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Real Estate Sales Agents in Durham, NC.

Real Estate Sales Agents salary in Durham: questions

How much do real estate sales agents make an hour in Durham?

$38.67 an hour on average, and $28.96 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level real estate sales agents salary in Durham?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,340 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,160, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the real estate sales agents take-home pay in Durham?

About $62,712 a year ($5,226 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $80,430.

Do real estate sales agents earn more in Durham than elsewhere?

The average here is 16% more than the U.S. average for this job ($69,510).

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 41-9022; area Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 10.2%.
  • 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 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).

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