Lawyers in the Durham-Chapel Hill Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Lawyers pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a median of $132,790 per year ($63.84/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $159,670, the metro estimate is 17% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 1,220 lawyers are employed across the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA in SOC 23-1011.

The Durham-Chapel Hill pay distribution spans from $61,390 at the 10th percentile to $333,510 at the 90th, a 5.4× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $79,010 and the 75th at $207,870, so half of Durham-Chapel Hill-based lawyers earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Durham-Chapel Hill, NC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide NC estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.