BLS figures put the median pay for financial managers in Durham, NC, at $165,470 a year. It runs 22% above the national median of $135,850 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $130,700 and $219,050 — a 88,350 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The average (mean) of $184,900 comes in higher than the median, which usually means a share of high earners is pulling the average up. The catch: Durham is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $79.55, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for financial managers across all U.S. metros in our data is $135,850.