High school teacher · Durham, NC

High school teacher in Durham: $776/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median high school teacher wage in Durham at $57,870 a year. About 1,620 high school teacher jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.69). The 10th percentile is $40,480 and the 90th is $63,790. Pay ranks 332nd-highest of 369 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 3.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,274/mo). North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $776 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Staunton, about 150 miles away, at $1,629 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$776

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$57,870

$40,480 to $63,790

Rent (1 bd)

$1,274

$1,517 (2 bd)

Employment

1,620

Location quotient 0.69

Pay rank

332nd of 369

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

3.8×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, high school teacher pay of $57,870.

Taxes$938
Rent$1,274
Other living costs$1,835
Left over$776

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $57,870
Federal income tax: −$4,906
Social Security and Medicare: −$4,427
State income tax (NC): −$1,918
Take-home pay: $46,619
Effective tax rate: 19.4%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,274
Groceries: $385
Getting around: $440
Healthcare: $433
Utilities and internet: $241
Everything else: $337
Total spending: $3,109

Left over each month

$4,823 gross, minus $938 in tax and $3,109 in living costs.

$776

Rank every metro for a high school teacher

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Staunton, $1,629/mo.

High school teacher leftover by city →Best cities for high school teachers to move to →

High school teacher nearby

Questions

What does a high school teacher make in Durham?

$57,870 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,620 high school teacher jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a high school teacher in Durham?

$776 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax Rent is $1,274, and pay covers 3.8× a year of it.

Where nearby would a high school teacher keep more?

Staunton, about 150 miles away, leaves $1,629 a month, more than Durham.