Registered Nurses salary in Durham, NC

Median pay for registered nurses in Durham, NC: $78,990/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $68,800 – $112,990

Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$1,820 (-2%).

What it's really worth in Durham

With Durham's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $78,990 has the buying power of about $81,143 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $76,040 · median home $414,340 · median rent $1,703/mo.

Full Durham cost of living & taxes →

How Durham ranks for this job

On raw pay, Durham, NC is 127th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Durham's cost of living is applied, it ranks 149th.

The headline number flatters Durham. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Durham

A median home in Durham, NC costs $414,340 — about 5.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,703/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where registered nurses earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Durham.

Metro	Median pay	vs Durham	Rent vs Durham
Vallejo, CA	$187,080	+137%	1.4×
San Francisco, CA	$181,240	+129%	1.9×
San Jose, CA	$179,210	+127%	2.1×
Sacramento, CA	$157,810	+100%	1.3×

Same job elsewhere in NC

Metro	Median pay	vs Durham	Rent vs Durham
Fayetteville, NC	$87,190	+10%	0.9×
Winston-Salem, NC	$83,020	+5%	0.9×
Raleigh, NC	$81,910	+4%	1×
Charlotte, NC	$81,190	+3%	1×

Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires registered nurses around Durham

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Duke University · Education
• Biogen · Healthcare

Other jobs in Durham