SOC 29-1127 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro

Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in Durham, NC

The average salary for speech-language pathologists in Durham, North Carolina is $87,410 a year ($42.02 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $83,460: half of the 390 people in this job in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

$87,410average per year

$42.02 / hourMedian $83,460Take-home ≈ $67,344

  • $60K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $103K75th
  • $126K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

390people in this job
-12%vs U.S. metro average
#7 of 14North Carolina metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Speech-Language Pathologists pay range in Durham

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,250 a year or less, while the top 10% make $125,630 or more. The middle half of speech-language pathologists in Durham earn between $63,680 and $103,310.

  • $60K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $103K75th
  • $126K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$87,410$7,284$42.02
Median$83,460$6,955$40.12
Entry level (25th percentile)$63,680$5,307$30.62
Experienced (75th percentile)$103,310$8,609$49.67

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

Speech-Language Pathologists salary after taxes in Durham

On the average salary of $87,410, a single filer in Durham takes home about $67,344 a year, or $5,612 a month and $2,590 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% 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 speech-language pathologists? 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 $87,410 buys what about $89,585 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $87,410 is worth in another city

Speech-Language Pathologists salary in other North Carolina cities

Durham ranks 7th of 14 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Greenville pays the most ($96,470).

All Speech-Language Pathologists salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for speech-language pathologists

El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,700).

Speech-Language Pathologists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Speech-Language Pathologists in Durham, NC.

Speech-Language Pathologists salary in Durham: questions

How much do speech-language pathologists make an hour in Durham?

$42.02 an hour on average, and $40.13 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level speech-language pathologists salary in Durham?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,250 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,680, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the speech-language pathologists take-home pay in Durham?

About $67,344 a year ($5,612 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $87,410.

Do speech-language pathologists earn more in Durham than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

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 29-1127; area Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • 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 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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