Salary comparison
Sales Managers: Charlottesville vs Durham
Durham, NC pays about 12.4% more for sales managers on paper — $190,370 vs $169,390. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Durham comes out ahead by $20,980 a year in real buying power.
Charlottesville, VA
$169,390
$119,700
$260,580
$81.44
100
$169,390/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Durham, NC
$190,370
$122,560
$268,570
$91.52
100
$190,370/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $20,980 a year (12.4%) in favor of Durham. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Charlottesville runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Durham sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Durham is the better deal by $20,980 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Charlottesville to Durham for this role, the raise needs to beat 12.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do sales managers earn more, Charlottesville or Durham?
Durham pays $190,370 on median — about 12.4% more than Charlottesville ($169,390). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Durham. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Durham gives you roughly$190,370 of real buying power versus $169,390 in the other city.