How Much Does an LPN Make in Durham, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for LPNs in Durham, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Durham · Chapel Hill metro area
A typical LPN in Durham, North Carolina earns $32.19 per hour, or $66,950 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $5,579 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $50,190, and the top 10% of earners make over $76,190.
That pay is 6% above the North Carolina figure of $63,270 and 4% above the national figure of $64,400. Durham ranks 1st of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for LPN pay. About 960 LPNs work in the Durham · Chapel Hill area. Durham is part of the Durham · Chapel Hill metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Chapel Hill share these figures.
LPN pay in Durham at a glance
- Typical pay is $32.19 an hour, or $66,950 a year.
- That is 6% above the North Carolina figure, ranking 1st of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $50,190; the top 10% make over $76,190.
- Typical pay rose +46% from 2015 to 2025, against +50% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an LPN make in Durham?
Pay in Durham runs from entry-level positions at around $24.13 an hour to more than $36.63 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the North Carolina and national figures.
LPN pay by career stage in Durham
| Career stage | Durham | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $50,190$24.13 an hour | $50,480$24.27 an hour | $49,740$23.91 an hour |
| First years | $62,700$30.15 an hour | $59,270$28.50 an hour | $59,000$28.37 an hour |
| Typical LPN | $66,950$32.19 an hour | $63,270$30.42 an hour | $64,400$30.96 an hour |
| Experienced | $73,070$35.13 an hour | $69,700$33.51 an hour | $76,030$36.55 an hour |
| Top 10% | $76,190$36.63 an hour | $74,730$35.93 an hour | $83,440$40.12 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Durham · Chapel Hill area as BLS defines it
LPN pay growth in Durham
Typical (median) annual wage for LPNs in the Durham · Chapel Hill area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical LPN pay in Durham was $45,780 a year. By 2025 it had reached $66,950, a change of +46%, compared with +50% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Durham compares with other North Carolina cities
Durham pays LPNs the most of any metro area in North Carolina. The lowest-paying area in the state is Goldsboro at $60,470.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Durham | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $66,950 | $32.19 | this city | 960 |
| 2 | Asheville | $65,470 | $31.48 | -2% | 860 |
| 3 | Charlotte | $65,140 | $31.32 | -3% | 3,890 |
| 4 | Fayetteville | $64,670 | $31.09 | -3% | 980 |
| 5 | Norfolk metro incl. Chesapeake | $64,370 | $30.95 | -4% | 3,410 |
| 6 | Cary metro incl. Raleigh | $64,080 | $30.81 | -4% | 1,740 |
| 7 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $63,610 | $30.58 | -5% | 1,470 |
| 8 | Burlington | $63,450 | $30.51 | -5% | 260 |
| 9 | Wilmington | $63,390 | $30.48 | -5% | 790 |
| 10 | Salem metro incl. Winston | $62,970 | $30.27 | -6% | 1,330 |
| 11 | Morganton | $62,430 | $30.01 | -7% | 740 |
| 12 | Rocky Mount | $62,080 | $29.85 | -7% | 200 |
| 13 | Southern Pines metro incl. Pinehurst | $61,730 | $29.68 | -8% | 240 |
| 14 | Greenville | $61,600 | $29.62 | -8% | 610 |
| 15 | Jacksonville | $60,770 | $29.22 | -9% | 130 |
| 16 | Goldsboro | $60,470 | $29.07 | -10% | 190 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with LPN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $63,270
Is Durham a good place to work as an LPN?
LPN pay in Durham sits close to the national figure: $66,950 a year, 4% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Durham · Chapel Hill area, about 2.8 are LPN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 4.2. That makes LPNs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an LPN make in Durham, NC?
- A typical LPN in Durham earns $66,950 a year, or $32.19 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $50,190 and the top 10% earn over $76,190.
- How much does an LPN make an hour in Durham?
- Typical hourly pay for LPNs in Durham is $32.19. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $24.13, and the top 10% earn over $36.63 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an LPN in Durham?
- Entry-level LPN positions in Durham typically offer around $24.13 an hour, or $50,190 a year.
- Is LPN pay in Durham higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Durham pay is 6% above the North Carolina figure of $63,270 a year, ranking 1st of 16 metro areas in the state.