Quick answer: The Durham metro employs about 9,790 software developers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through the employers and certifying bodies you are targeting.
Compare technology programs enrolling now:
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Computing is not a licensed field, so no board issues a permit to work in it. What circulates instead are vendor and industry certifications - the network, cloud and security credentials employers name in postings - and on the academic side ABET’s computing commission accredits some programs, though far from all reputable ones carry it.
See the North Carolina licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the employers and certifying bodies you are targeting.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 26 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Software Developers in the Durham area earn a median $135,620 per year, below the national median of $135,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Technology Pay in Durham, NC
Metric
Durham metro
North Carolina
National
Median annual wage
$135,620
$134,710
$135,980
10th percentile
$100,670
$83,840
$82,460
25th percentile
$128,290
$104,530
$105,210
75th percentile
$168,720
$164,750
$171,980
90th percentile
$209,410
$179,310
$214,670
Employment
9,790
58,470
1,687,890
Location quotient
2.62
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Durham median of $135,620 is below the national median of $135,980, and above the North Carolina statewide median of $134,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 2.62 means software developers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Technology hiring concentrates in metros with a corporate or data centre base, and remote work has widened but not erased that pattern.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do software developers make in Durham?
The median annual wage for software developers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area is $135,620, below the national median of $135,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many software developers work in the Durham area?
The Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area employs about 9,790 software developers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do software developers in Durham need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Computing is not a licensed field, so no board issues a permit to work in it. What circulates instead are vendor and industry certifications - the network, cloud and security credentials employers name in postings - and on the academic side ABET's computing commission accredits some programs, though far from all reputable ones carry it. Confirm current requirements with the employers and certifying bodies you are targeting.
Can I study technology online from Durham?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the employers and certifying bodies you are targeting.
Is Durham a better market than the rest of North Carolina?
The Durham metro median is $135,620 against a statewide median of $134,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
