SOC 41-2031 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro

Retail Salespersons Salary in Durham, NC

The average salary for retail salespersons in Durham, North Carolina is $34,360 a year ($16.52 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $31,790: half of the 5,850 people in this job in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,482).

$34,360average per year

$16.52 / hourMedian $31,790Take-home ≈ $28,926

  • $24K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $32KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

5,850people in this job
-8%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 15North Carolina metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Retail Salespersons pay range in Durham

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,620 or more. The middle half of retail salespersons in Durham earn between $28,240 and $37,190.

  • $24K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $32KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$34,360$2,863$16.52
Median$31,790$2,649$15.28
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,240$2,353$13.58
Experienced (75th percentile)$37,190$3,099$17.88

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

Retail Salespersons salary after taxes in Durham

On the average salary of $34,360, a single filer in Durham takes home about $28,926 a year, or $2,411 a month and $1,113 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

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

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Is Durham a good place for retail salespersons? 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 $34,360 buys what about $35,215 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 12.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $34,360 is worth in another city

Retail Salespersons salary in other North Carolina cities

Durham ranks 4th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($35,410).

All Retail Salespersons salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for retail salespersons

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($47,420).

Retail Salespersons salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Retail Salespersons in Durham, NC.

Retail Salespersons salary in Durham: questions

How much do retail salespersons make an hour in Durham?

$16.52 an hour on average, and $15.28 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level retail salespersons salary in Durham?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,240, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the retail salespersons take-home pay in Durham?

About $28,926 a year ($2,411 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $34,360.

Do retail salespersons earn more in Durham than elsewhere?

The average here is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,482).

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 41-2031; area Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.7%.
  • 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 0.68, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.68).

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