Duke raises minimum wage to $20 per hour

Duke University will pay eligible employees $20 per hour starting this summer.

2026-03-04

The university system said more than 4,000 employees at Duke University and Duke University Health system will see their pay increase.

A $20 per hour rate, for full-time employees who work 40 hours per week, works out to about $41,000 per year.

Around 9,000 employees with greater tenure, whose wages are currently near the new minimum, will receive an additional wage adjustment in recognition of their experience and years of service, according to Duke.

The system said contractors who employ people working full-time on Duke's campus will be expected to meet the new $20 minimum wage.

Duke's minimum wage increased to $12 per hour in 2015, and $18 per hour in 2024.

The university system said the new rate will be among the highest minimum wages offered by regional universities and health systems in North Carolina.