Mid-level Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary in Durham, NC

Based on 22 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Chapel Hill, Research Triangle Park.

Median salary$90,500
Middle 50%$77.4k–$102k
vs. all levels here+0%comparison median $90,071
Filings22FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $72,021 and $114,274.
PercentileSalary
10th$74,337
25th$77,438
50th (median)$90,500
75th$101,983
90th$105,445

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $80k $100k FY2020: median $67,000 (19 filings) FY2021: median $71,250 (20 filings) FY2022: median $82,139 (19 filings) FY2023: median $90,189 (15 filings) FY2025: median $91,000 (13 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 19 filings FY20 FY2021: 20 filings FY21 FY2022: 19 filings FY22 FY2023: 15 filings FY23 FY2024: 9 filings FY24 FY2025: 13 filings FY25 FY2026: 9 filings FY26 20
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$67,000$57,000$83,41819
FY2021$71,250$59,867$81,00020
FY2022$82,139$76,282$96,00019
FY2023$90,189$80,668$98,05315
FY2024–––9
FY2025$91,000$77,250$98,40013
FY2026–––9

Cost of living

Durham's median mid-level Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary of $90,500 is worth about $92,800 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Durham = 97.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Molecular and Cellular Biologists in the Durham, NC area earned a median of $98,700 in May 2025 (1,390 employed). The H-1B median here is $90,500, 8% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Howard Hughes Medical Institutetoo few7
ElevateBio Technologiestoo few3
Zifo Technologiestoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $72,000 16
Mid-level · Level II $90,500 22
Senior · Level III $100,621 14
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$53,040$72,00016
Mid-level · Level II$83,658$90,50022
Senior · Level III$79,082$100,62114

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.