Electricians salary in Durham, NC
Median pay for electricians in Durham, NC: $59,820/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $40,250 – $79,350 · about 1,150 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($60,730) by −$910 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Durham
With Durham's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $59,820 has the buying power of about $61,450 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $76,040 · median home $414,340 · median rent $1,703/mo.
How Durham ranks for this job
On raw pay, Durham, NC is 102nd of the 187 metros we hold electricians wages for. Once Durham's cost of living is applied, it ranks 106th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Durham sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Durham
A median home in Durham, NC costs $414,340 — about 6.9× 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 34% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where electricians 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick, WA | $103,240 | +73% | 1× |
| Honolulu, HI | $102,280 | +71% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $98,970 | +65% | 2.1× |
| Chicago, IL | $98,790 | +65% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Durham | Rent vs Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $52,320 | −13% | 1× |
| Raleigh, NC | $51,180 | −14% | 1× |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $51,120 | −15% | 0.9× |
| Wilmington, NC | $51,060 | −15% | 1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Durham
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.