SOC 11-1011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Chief Executives — Durham
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC · 7 metro areas compared
In Durham, NC the median wage for Chief Executives reaches $381,330 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.3%
- Openings per year
- 22,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
25.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Durham, NC the median wage for Chief Executives reaches $381,330 a year. That is 78.2% more than the national median of $213,990. Pay ranges from under $113,920 at the tenth percentile to more than $765,300 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $248,580 to $499,990.
Employment stands at 140, or 0.4 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Greensboro records the highest median at $354,310. Of the 453 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 1st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $113,920 | −46.8% |
| 25th | $248,580 | +16.2% |
| Median (50th) | $381,330 | +78.2% |
| 75th | $499,990 | +133.7% |
| 90th | $765,300 | +257.6% |
| Mean | $425,580 | +98.9% |
Other metro areas in North Carolina
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greensboro | $354,310 | 160 | |
| 2 | Charlotte | $329,030 | 740 | |
| 3 | Hickory | $312,730 | 50 | |
| 4 | Wilmington | $298,730 | 30 | |
| 5 | Raleigh | $286,050 | 360 | |
| 6 | Winston-Salem | $273,710 | 80 | |
| 7 | Asheville | $270,520 | 50 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Durham run 2.4% below the national average, so the median of $381,330 goes as far as $390,707 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 82.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$381,330as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$390,707US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $381,330 a year, 78.2% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $113,920 to $765,300 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 140 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Greensboro, at $354,310.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Chief Executives in Durham, NC?
The median annual wage is $381,330, or $183.33 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $213,990, so pay in Durham, NC is 78.2% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Durham, NC earns more than $765,300 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $113,920 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Greensboro, at $354,310 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 140 jobs in this occupation in Durham, NC. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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