Durham, NC
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H1BIndex City Grade
i
C
FY 2026
2023
A
2024
A
2025
A
City Visa Volume i
530
Filings in FY 2026
Median City Pay i
$124,084
Typical yearly salary
True Purchasing Power i
$117,880
Adjusted for Cost of Living
Green Card Rate i
12.10%
Transition to Residency
City Data Overview
An automated review of Durham's tech ecosystem, salaries, and residency sponsorship.Active Local Market: "C"
Finding a sponsored role in this city is a realistic goal. Backed by 530 formal applications, the market achieves an H1B Index Rating of "C".
Flexible Location
Remote work is very popular in Durham. Around 79.6% of visa holders here work for companies based outside the local state lines.
Core Internal Teams
Most businesses in the city hire directly for their own daily needs. Around 82.5% of sponsored workers focus entirely on internal tasks.
Seniority Wage Growth
Companies in the local area offer strong salary growth. Reaching senior-level status typically increases your starting pay by 2.2x.
Early Career Sponsorship
Employers in the city are willing to sponsor junior workers for the long term. The average experience needed is exactly 24 months.
Zero Reported Layoffs
Across 530 federal filings, there are absolutely zero reported layoffs from Finance & Insurance companies here. Job security is excellent, with just a 0.2% visa denial rate.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Clean Layoff Record
Zero Job Cuts: There are no active reports of layoffs from companies hiring in Durham.
Top Companies
The leading companies driving the foreign talent market in Durham.Fidelity Technology Group, LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments
225 Local Filings
$124,084
Market Rate
Duke University
38 Local Filings
$74,759
-39.8% City Avg
Compunnel Software Group, Inc.
18 Local Filings
$127,000
Market Rate
Ibm Corporation
17 Local Filings
$129,979
Market Rate
Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings
9 Local Filings
$139,214
+12.2% City Avg
Cognizant Technology Solutions Us Corp.
8 Local Filings
$109,440
-11.8% City Avg
Nvidia Corporation
8 Local Filings
$168,000
+35.4% City Avg
National Charitable Services LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments
7 Local Filings
$124,084
Market Rate
Hiring & Green Card Data
How companies acquire and retain talent.Talent Origin Pipeline
Fresh Hires (38.1%)Transfers/Poached (61.9%)
Green Card (PERM) Conversion i
12.10% of active filings transition to residency.
10-Year Salary Trends
Tracking the 10-year salary growth for tech workers in Durham. Strong Regional Wage Growth: +59.5%. Total average pay baselines inside this localized job hub have expanded steadily over the ten-year window.
Local Permanent Premium: +$5,062. Regional employers pay an average of 4.1% more when transitioning contract workers onto permanent Green Card files.
Most Common Job Titles i
The most frequently sponsored positions.Job Title & Market DataTotal Approvals
6.6% Share
35
5.8% Share
31
5.5% Share
29
4.0% Share
21
3.0% Share
16
O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 36 | 6.8% | $53,539 | $73,702 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 218 | 41.1% | $64,471 | $116,709 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 65 | 12.3% | $96,395 | $135,000 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 103 | 19.4% | $59,180 | $161,741 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 108 | 20.4% | $61,800 | $131,950 |
Top Local Industries
The top sectors operating in Durham.| Economic Sector | Total Filings | Market Share | Median Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance & Insurance | 261 | 49.2% | $125,119 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services | 155 | 29.2% | $120,000 |
| Manufacturing | 48 | 9.1% | $141,294 |
| Educational Services | 44 | 8.3% | $74,759 |
| Unspecified / Blank | 10 | 1.9% | $117,481 |
| Information & Tech | 9 | 1.7% | $118,976 |
| Construction | 2 | 0.4% | $117,904 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 0.2% | $142,642 |
Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.Law Firm & Market DataTotal Approvals
59.7% Share
261
7.8% Share
34
3.7% Share
16
3.4% Share
15
2.7% Share
12
Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.End Client & Placement DataTotal Approvals
38.7% Share
36
9.7% Share
9
6.5% Share
6
2.2% Share
2
2.2% Share
2
Highest Density Zip Codes i
The most active areas for talent.Zip Code & Hub DemographicsTotal Approvals
63.8% Hub Share
338
14.5% Hub Share
77
6.8% Hub Share
36
3.2% Hub Share
17
3.0% Hub Share
16
Historical Visa Volume
10-Year Labor Condition Application history for Durham.💡 Click on the legend labels below to filter data.
Historical Green Card Data
10-Year Permanent Residency sponsorship volume.💡 Click on the legend labels below to filter data.
Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employer List
A detailed ledger of all employers operating in Durham.| Local Employer | Total Filings | Market Share | Maximum Salary | Median Salary | Minimum Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Technology Group, LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments | 225 | 42.5% | $195,000 | $124,084 | $92,310 |
| Duke University | 38 | 7.2% | $285,000 | $74,759 | $53,539 |
| Compunnel Software Group, Inc. | 18 | 3.4% | $161,700 | $127,000 | $111,000 |
| Ibm Corporation | 17 | 3.2% | $256,200 | $129,979 | $88,358 |
| Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings | 9 | 1.7% | $176,074 | $139,214 | $92,310 |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions Us Corp. | 8 | 1.5% | $143,374 | $109,440 | $96,054 |
| Nvidia Corporation | 8 | 1.5% | $396,750 | $168,000 | $119,184 |
| National Charitable Services LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments | 7 | 1.3% | $171,725 | $124,084 | $116,709 |
| Kforce Inc. | 7 | 1.3% | $187,200 | $125,029 | $115,939 |
| Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments | 7 | 1.3% | $182,500 | $137,696 | $79,851 |
| Fortrea Inc. | 6 | 1.1% | $168,345 | $121,451 | $112,965 |
| Analog Devices, Inc. | 5 | 0.9% | $180,000 | $176,109 | $116,804 |
| Fidelity Workplace Investing LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments | 5 | 0.9% | $169,938 | $125,119 | $114,402 |
| Netapp, Inc. | 5 | 0.9% | $229,000 | $153,712 | $125,119 |
| Digipulse Technologies, Inc. | 4 | 0.8% | $150,000 | $140,000 | $130,000 |
| Capgemini America Inc. | 4 | 0.8% | $161,741 | $133,250 | $122,000 |
| Fmr LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments | 4 | 0.8% | $176,675 | $144,778 | $125,979 |
| Fujifilm Healthcare Americas Corporation | 3 | 0.6% | $170,114 | $161,023 | $93,995 |
| Elevance Health, Inc. | 3 | 0.6% | $145,980 | $125,630 | $116,699 |
| Hcl Global Systems Inc. | 3 | 0.6% | $139,214 | $116,709 | $112,466 |
| Cgi Technologies And Solutions Inc. | 3 | 0.6% | $171,054 | $96,054 | $88,026 |
| Eliassen Group, LLC | 3 | 0.6% | $147,867 | $145,600 | $133,120 |
| Research Triangle Institute (U.S.) | 3 | 0.6% | $75,405 | $75,405 | $65,395 |
| Pmg Global Corporation | 3 | 0.6% | $176,800 | $176,800 | $176,800 |
| Tata Consultancy Services Limited | 3 | 0.6% | $138,900 | $92,206 | $79,851 |
| Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 3 | 0.6% | $220,958 | $118,264 | $118,264 |
| Google LLC | 3 | 0.6% | $177,000 | $175,000 | $150,000 |
| Dumac, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $150,000 | $129,570 | $109,140 |
| Duke University Health System | 2 | 0.4% | $85,272 | $77,195 | $69,118 |
| Guidehouse Digital LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $90,176 | $90,176 | $90,176 |
| Novartis Gene Therapies, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $98,218 | $86,954 | $75,691 |
| Kbi Biopharma, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $219,000 | $153,500 | $103,000 |
| Nc Health Affiliates, LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $138,000 | $132,036 | $126,072 |
| Mastech Digital Technologies, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $118,667 | $95,846 | $88,026 |
| Rti Health Solutions, LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $118,729 | $118,729 | $118,729 |
| Smart Wires Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $125,000 | $122,500 | $120,000 |
| Syngenta Crop Protection LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $187,200 | $145,163 | $135,096 |
| Medpharm Manufacturing Services LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $124,663 | $110,529 | $96,395 |
| Cisco Systems, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $270,000 | $157,800 | $149,100 |
| Aurolife Pharma LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $190,000 | $137,500 | $85,000 |
| Tech Mahindra (Americas), Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $115,815 | $113,090 | $110,365 |
| Wellnecity, LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $93,000 | $83,000 | $83,000 |
| Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $150,000 | $128,794 | $128,794 |
| Unlimited.Ai, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $160,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Wsp USA Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $85,654 | $85,654 | $85,654 |
| Randstad Digital, LLC | 2 | 0.4% | $139,219 | $138,480 | $137,740 |
| Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of North Carolina | 2 | 0.4% | $157,369 | $149,041 | $140,713 |
| Atlas Securitized Products Partners, L.P. | 2 | 0.4% | $220,000 | $179,796 | $170,000 |
| Asensus Surgical Us, Inc. | 2 | 0.4% | $121,139 | $121,094 | $121,048 |
| Dpr Construction, A General Partnership | 2 | 0.4% | $195,000 | $117,904 | $92,435 |
Complete Salary Matrix by Job Title
Salary breakdown across all job titles in this city.| Local Job Title | Total Filings | Salary Variance | Maximum Salary | Median Salary | Minimum Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Full Stack Engineer | 35 | $61,480 | $161,741 | $116,709 | $100,261 |
| Senior Software Engineer/Developer | 31 | $45,032 | $161,741 | $116,709 | $116,709 |
| Principal Software Engineer/Developer | 29 | $51,217 | $173,800 | $131,120 | $122,583 |
| Software Developer | 21 | $121,179 | $222,600 | $132,000 | $101,421 |
| Principal Full Stack Engineer | 16 | $45,006 | $170,125 | $131,950 | $125,119 |
| Senior Data Engineer | 14 | $83,533 | $187,200 | $116,709 | $103,667 |
| Postdoctoral Associate | 12 | $8,651 | $72,821 | $67,710 | $64,170 |
| Software Engineer | 10 | $170,791 | $287,500 | $143,607 | $116,709 |
| Senior Software Engineer | 8 | $45,032 | $161,741 | $123,896 | $116,709 |
| Principal Data Engineer | 7 | $38,066 | $162,150 | $136,644 | $124,084 |
| Principal, Full Stack Engineer | 7 | $44,641 | $168,725 | $132,781 | $124,084 |
| Principal, Data Engineer | 6 | $44,716 | $161,425 | $128,950 | $116,709 |
| Data Engineer | 6 | $40,798 | $133,337 | $108,970 | $92,539 |
| Director, Software Engineering | 6 | $16,709 | $178,450 | $161,741 | $161,741 |
| Senior Software Developer | 5 | $49,691 | $166,400 | $125,029 | $116,709 |
| Senior Front End Developer | 4 | $34,049 | $150,758 | $116,709 | $116,709 |
| Research Associate Senior | 4 | $63,455 | $127,926 | $77,854 | $64,471 |
| Senior Software Engineer In Test | 4 | $46,904 | $139,214 | $104,510 | $92,310 |
| Full Stack Engineer | 4 | $38,938 | $133,120 | $107,091 | $94,182 |
| Principal Database Administrator | 4 | $24,928 | $149,000 | $130,784 | $124,072 |
| Director, Data Engineering | 4 | $18,009 | $179,750 | $161,741 | $161,741 |
| Director, Full Stack Engineering | 4 | $29,159 | $190,900 | $161,741 | $161,741 |
| Director, Architecture | 4 | $23,359 | $185,100 | $161,741 | $161,741 |
| Director, Advanced Data Analytics And Insights | 4 | $44,804 | $182,500 | $137,696 | $137,696 |
| Principal Cloud Engineer | 3 | $30,219 | $163,000 | $143,709 | $132,781 |
| Mgr. Jc50 - Software Quality Assurance Analysts And Testers | 3 | Flat Rate | $108,410 | $108,410 | $108,410 |
| Engineer Senior Verification | 3 | $142,500 | $310,500 | $168,000 | $168,000 |
| Senior Systems Analyst | 3 | $64,495 | $161,741 | $100,261 | $97,246 |
| Senior Cloud Engineer | 3 | $45,032 | $161,741 | $116,709 | $116,709 |
| Principal, Cloud Engineer | 3 | $14,227 | $171,475 | $157,248 | $157,248 |
| Research Health Outcomes Scientist 2 | 3 | Flat Rate | $118,729 | $118,729 | $118,729 |
| Director, Cloud Engineering | 3 | $38,946 | $188,450 | $161,741 | $149,504 |
| Principal Architect | 3 | $262,092 | $396,750 | $157,248 | $134,658 |
| Principal Statistical Programmer | 3 | $80,566 | $209,193 | $130,000 | $128,627 |
| Package Consultant | 3 | $79,642 | $168,000 | $100,589 | $88,358 |
| Business Analyst | 3 | $131,549 | $211,400 | $112,466 | $79,851 |
| Assistant Professor | 3 | $175,000 | $285,000 | $175,000 | $110,000 |
| Staff Engineer, Systems Design/Architecture | 2 | Flat Rate | $180,000 | $180,000 | $180,000 |
| Vice President | 2 | $50,000 | $220,000 | $179,796 | $170,000 |
| Systems Analyst/ Scrum Master | 2 | $39,000 | $150,000 | $119,500 | $111,000 |
| Software Engineer (Full Stack) | 2 | Flat Rate | $176,800 | $176,800 | $176,800 |
| Software Development Engineer In Test | 2 | $25,200 | $139,200 | $115,375 | $114,000 |
| Senior Mechanical Engineer | 2 | $5,000 | $125,000 | $122,500 | $120,000 |
| Lead Consultant | 2 | $8,870 | $132,870 | $128,435 | $124,000 |
| Manager Jc50 - Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 2 | Flat Rate | $119,704 | $119,704 | $119,704 |
| Principal Software Engineer | 2 | $40,019 | $158,000 | $121,032 | $117,981 |
| Principal Site Reliability Engineer | 2 | $42,741 | $166,825 | $128,432 | $124,084 |
| Principal Data Modeler | 2 | $24,588 | $157,369 | $145,075 | $132,781 |
| Principal Database Developer | 2 | $41,991 | $166,075 | $124,602 | $124,084 |
| Principal Systems Engineer | 2 | $21,244 | $154,025 | $132,781 | $132,781 |
Historical Compensation Averages
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Average | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $285,000 | $121,985 | $120,035 | $52,000 |
| 2025 | +6.8% | $367,315 | $117,832 | $116,888 | $39,520 |
| 2024 | +3.1% | $400,000 | $110,365 | $110,224 | $41,600 |
| 2023 | +7.0% | $450,000 | $107,016 | $105,836 | $39,520 |
| 2022 | +5.5% | $324,450 | $100,000 | $100,080 | $37,440 |
| 2021 | +4.2% | $350,000 | $94,808 | $95,821 | $39,520 |
| 2020 | +3.6% | $304,450 | $91,000 | $90,979 | $37,440 |
| 2019 | +3.3% | $324,200 | $87,829 | $87,203 | $60,320 |
| 2018 | +7.1% | $350,000 | $85,000 | $86,944 | $49,920 |
| 2017 | +3.7% | $511,200 | $79,331 | $80,217 | $33,280 |
| 2016 | - | $588,812 | $76,465 | $78,126 | $37,440 |
Recent Visa Applications (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures showing individual labor applications filed in this city.City Specific Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights about Durham.What is the average base pay for work visas in Durham?
The typical base pay sits at a median of $124,084, with senior earners taking home over $139,214 before bonuses.
Who is the top employer for foreign talent in Durham, NC?
Our database shows that Fidelity Technology Group, LLC D/B/A Fidelity Investments submits the highest volume of visa sponsorships in the city, with 225 recent approvals.
Does the local pay in Durham cover the cost of living?
Once you factor in local rent and state taxes, the actual spending value of an average salary in Durham equates to roughly $117,880.
Do sponsored workers pay high state taxes in Durham?
In Durham, state taxes sit around 5.0%. You should expect an estimated $6,204 to be withheld for state taxes annually.