Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Durham Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area
Figures describe the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Durham city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (8 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 453 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Executives | $381,330 | $183.33 | 140 |
| 2 | Physicians, Pathologists | $272,300 | $130.92 | 30 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $220,840 | $106.18 | Not published |
| 4 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $219,990 | $105.77 | Not published |
| 5 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $214,620 | $103.18 | 40 |
| 6 | Dentists, General | $208,490 | $100.24 | 200 |
| 7 | Orthodontists | $199,990 | $96.15 | Not published |
| 8 | Sales Managers | $190,370 | $91.52 | 1,150 |
| 9 | Natural Sciences Managers | $183,540 | $88.24 | 2,050 |
| 10 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $176,190 | $84.71 | 4,170 |
| 11 | Sales Engineers | $175,310 | $84.29 | 330 |
| 12 | Marketing Managers | $175,160 | $84.21 | 1,230 |
| 13 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $175,110 | $84.19 | 430 |
| 14 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $172,480 | $82.92 | 860 |
| 15 | Psychiatrists | $170,600 | $82.02 | 40 |
| 16 | Optometrists | $166,880 | $80.23 | 40 |
| 17 | Financial Managers | $165,470 | $79.55 | 1,710 |
| 18 | Human Resources Managers | $160,580 | $77.20 | 630 |
| 19 | Purchasing Managers | $160,370 | $77.10 | 250 |
| 20 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $155,680 | $74.85 | 290 |
| 21 | Economists | $152,130 | $73.14 | 120 |
| 22 | Managers, All Other | $152,090 | $73.12 | 2,340 |
| 23 | Computer Network Architects | $144,990 | $69.71 | 970 |
| 24 | Database Architects | $141,770 | $68.16 | 560 |
| 25 | Pharmacists | $141,360 | $67.96 | 1,150 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Durham metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.