Project Coordinator salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Durham-Chapel Hill is a higher-paying market for project coordinators: the median of $104,870 a year1 is 4.0% above the North Carolina statewide median of $100,820, and 2.5% above the US median of $102,320. Nationally that is #51 of 518 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 3,180 people in this job here, 9% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 13-1082, 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 | $66,000 | $104,870 | $168,210 | |
| North Carolina | $61,570 | $100,820 | $164,050 | |
| United States | $61,580 | $102,320 | $167,970 |
Project coordinators at the 90th percentile earn $168,210, 2.5 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.7. The middle half of project coordinators in Durham-Chapel Hill earns $81,280–$136,370. The mean ($115,430) is 10% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $55,090 wide, wider than in North Carolina as a whole ($52,720) and the US ($54,660), so what a project coordinator earns in Durham-Chapel Hill depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a project coordinator here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $31.73 | $85,161 |
| 25th percentile | $81,280 | $6,773 | $39.08 | $104,877 |
| Median | $104,870 | $8,739 | $50.42 | $135,316 |
| 75th percentile | $136,370 | $11,364 | $65.56 | $175,961 |
| 90th percentile | $168,210 | $14,018 | $80.87 | $217,045 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $23,590 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $31,500, or about $40,645 once benefits are added. 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 $102,320 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Durham-Chapel Hill, and the North Carolina statewide median of $100,820 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $30,446 to the $104,870 median and brings it to $135,316 a year. 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 project coordinators 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
Project coordinators have the highest median of the 17 roles we track in Durham-Chapel Hill; virtual receptionists have the lowest, at $35,990.
| Role | Median | vs project coordinator | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | this role | 3,180 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -11.2% | 2,740 | |
| Accountant | -18.9% | 3,060 | |
| Recruiter | -22.7% | 2,370 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -30.9% | 3,300 |
Measured against the US median, project coordinators rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Durham-Chapel Hill (+2.5%), between sales development representatives (+3.5%) and medical administrative assistants (+2.0%). The typical role here is at +0.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Project coordinators hold 8.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Durham-Chapel Hill, 6.9% across North Carolina and 6.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $79,240 in Jacksonville to $105,200 in Charlotte-Concord, a gap of $25,960 a year. Of the 2 areas in North Carolina with more project coordinators than Durham-Chapel Hill, 1 pays less: Raleigh-Cary, NC ($102,280).
| Area | Median | vs Durham-Chapel Hill | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +0.3% | 11,570 | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | this area | 3,180 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | -2.5% | 7,930 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -4.9% | 2,080 | |
| Asheville, NC | -7.1% | 950 | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -9.1% | 210 | |
| Greenville, NC | -9.9% | 470 |
Durham-Chapel Hill against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Durham-Chapel Hill is #55 of 517 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside North Carolina, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks pay just above Durham-Chapel Hill and Dubuque and Pittsfield just below. All four are within $230 a year of the median in Durham-Chapel Hill. Of the three markets with about as many project coordinators, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Durham-Chapel Hill | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | +6.6% | 3,200 | jobs | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +4.7% | 3,240 | jobs | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +0.1% | 1,510 | pay | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | +0.0% | 6,040 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | this area | 3,180 | ||
| Dubuque, IA | -0.2% | 290 | pay | |
| Pittsfield, MA | -0.2% | 210 | pay | |
| Boise City, ID | -6.0% | 3,220 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a project coordinator in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
About $135,316 a year at the median, or $11,276 a month: $104,870 in pay plus about $30,446 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do project coordinators earn in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $104,870 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $66,000, the 90th $168,210, and the middle half earned $81,280 to $136,370.
Is Durham-Chapel Hill cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for project coordinators?
No, it costs more: a median of $104,870 against $100,820 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Charlotte-Concord at $105,200, the next down Raleigh-Cary at $102,280.
How many project coordinators work in Durham-Chapel Hill?
BLS counts about 3,180 in the May 2025 survey. That is 9% of the North Carolina total of 36,200. Only Charlotte-Concord and Raleigh-Cary have more in North Carolina.
Does a project coordinator cost more than a marketing specialist in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Yes: $11,760 a year more at the median. The medians are $104,870 and $93,110.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1082: 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 2026-11-12.