Data Entry Specialist salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Durham-Chapel Hill pays data entry specialists more than North Carolina as a whole but less than the country. The median is $40,470 a year1: 2.2% above the North Carolina statewide median of $39,610 and 2.1% below the US median of $41,340. Among US areas it comes in at #149 of 394. BLS counts about 260 data entry specialists here, 8% of the North Carolina total: a small pool for a local search.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Durham-Chapel Hill against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $33,870 | $40,470 | $53,460 | |
| North Carolina | $31,780 | $39,610 | $52,620 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Durham-Chapel Hill earns $36,410–$44,700. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $53,460, only 1.6 times the bottom tenth, against 1.9 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $8,290 wide, against $11,410 across North Carolina and $12,650 nationally: employers in Durham-Chapel Hill pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a data entry specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,870 | $2,822 | $16.28 | $43,703 |
| 25th percentile | $36,410 | $3,034 | $17.50 | $46,981 |
| Median | $40,470 | $3,372 | $19.46 | $52,219 |
| 75th percentile | $44,700 | $3,725 | $21.49 | $57,677 |
| 90th percentile | $53,460 | $4,455 | $25.70 | $68,981 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,230 a year in pay and about $5,458 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,060 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $41,340 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Durham-Chapel Hill, and the North Carolina statewide median of $39,610 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Durham-Chapel Hill
At the $40,470 median, a local hire costs about $52,219 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,749 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for data entry specialists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Durham-Chapel Hill
Of the 17 roles we track in Durham-Chapel Hill, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($40,610) and virtual receptionists ($35,990). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,870.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +15.8% | 5,820 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +15.6% | 4,660 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +0.3% | 200 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 260 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -11.1% | 880 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Durham-Chapel Hill (-2.1%), between office managers (-1.5%) and payroll specialists (-3.2%). The typical role here is at +0.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Data entry specialists hold 0.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Durham-Chapel Hill, 0.6% across North Carolina and 0.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 17 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $35,340 in Fayetteville to $45,620 in Raleigh-Cary, a gap of $10,280 a year. Of the 3 areas in North Carolina with more data entry specialists than Durham-Chapel Hill, 1 pays less: Greensboro-High Point, NC ($37,670).
| Area | Median | vs Durham-Chapel Hill | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +12.7% | 520 | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +2.9% | 650 | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | this area | 260 | |
| Asheville, NC | -0.2% | 130 | |
| Greenville, NC | -0.4% | 30 | |
| Wilmington, NC | -1.7% | 110 | |
| Eastern North Carolina (Nonmetro) | -4.1% | 190 |
Durham-Chapel Hill against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Durham-Chapel Hill is #76 of 389 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside North Carolina, Lafayette and Indianapolis-Carmel pay just above Durham-Chapel Hill and Traverse City and Waterbury-Shelton just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Durham-Chapel Hill. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Durham-Chapel Hill | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | +7.5% | 270 | jobs | |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | +0.4% | 240 | jobs | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | +0.2% | 850 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | +0.2% | 300 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | this area | 260 | ||
| Traverse City, MI | -0.0% | 50 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | -0.1% | 120 | pay | |
| Boise City, ID | -0.5% | 270 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
About $52,219 a year at the median, or $4,352 a month: $40,470 in pay plus about $11,749 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do data entry specialists earn in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The median was $40,470 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,870, the 90th $53,460, and the middle half earned $36,410 to $44,700.
Is Durham-Chapel Hill cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for data entry specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $40,470 against $39,610 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Charlotte-Concord at $41,630, the next down Asheville at $40,380.
How many data entry specialists work in Durham-Chapel Hill?
BLS counts about 260 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the North Carolina total of 3,330. 3 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Greensboro-High Point, with about 290.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes: $4,480 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,470 and $35,990.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-9021: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-13.