Home / Wages / Winston-Salem Winston-Salem salaries The median worker in the Winston-Salem, NC metro area earned $45,050 a year in 2024, about $21.66 an hour. That ranks #260 of the 391 metro areas published here, 9% below the national median.
North Carolina
Median pay $45,050 $21.66 per hour
Vs national -9% U.S. $49,500
Workers 273,340 wage and salary
Metro rank #260 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Winston-Salem pays 4% less than North Carolina as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 14.2× 520 $37,220 Cooks, Fast Food 5.38× 6,370 $27,680 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 4.4× 1,210 $39,460 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 3.3× 1,340 $136,410 Sewing Machine Operators 2.96× 570 $30,100 Physician Assistants 2.89× 800 $131,570 Production Workers, All Other 2.82× 1,390 $35,560 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 2.3× 1,240 $70,520 Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other 2.18× 760 $37,510 Parking Attendants 2.18× 520 $22,590 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term 2.11× 1,800 $29,610 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other 2× 620 $44,410
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Winston-Salem Occupation Median Hourly Employed Nurse Anesthetists $236,370 $113.64 280 Computer and Information Systems Managers $141,940 $68.24 680 Financial Managers $140,870 $67.73 1,030 Marketing Managers $137,950 $66.32 610 Pharmacists $137,490 $66.10 1,020 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $136,410 n/a 1,340 Dentists, General $134,960 $64.89 270 Nurse Practitioners $132,790 $63.84 680 Physician Assistants $131,570 $63.26 800 Personal Financial Advisors $129,570 $62.29 640 Sales Managers $127,010 $61.06 840 Software Developers $125,140 $60.17 1,270 Information Security Analysts $123,700 $59.47 360 Human Resources Managers $122,940 $59.11 360 Lawyers $121,230 $58.28 980 Industrial Production Managers $116,570 $56.05 650 Medical and Health Services Managers $109,920 $52.85 1,080 Managers, All Other $107,400 $51.64 1,030 Construction Managers $104,700 $50.34 670 Computer Systems Analysts $101,830 $48.96 1,080 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $101,440 $48.77 320 Computer Occupations, All Other $99,260 $47.72 350 General and Operations Managers $99,110 $47.65 3,610 Physical Therapists $97,840 $47.04 410 Data Scientists $97,810 $47.02 260 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $97,540 $46.90 200 Facilities Managers $95,780 $46.05 220 Occupational Therapists $95,210 $45.77 250 Administrative Services Managers $94,890 $45.62 460 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $94,420 $45.39 390 Industrial Engineers $93,030 $44.73 720 Mechanical Engineers $87,970 $42.29 400 Dental Hygienists $85,060 $40.90 420 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $84,800 $40.77 440 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $84,780 n/a 580 Registered Nurses $84,270 $40.51 8,950 Civil Engineers $83,710 $40.25 340 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $83,480 $40.14 270 Chemists $83,130 $39.97 260 Financial and Investment Analysts $82,860 $39.84 420 Computer Programmers $82,680 $39.75 200 Speech-Language Pathologists $82,630 $39.72 400 Management Analysts $82,060 $39.45 630 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $80,610 $38.76 260 Respiratory Therapists $80,560 $38.73 460 Project Management Specialists $80,350 $38.63 1,320 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $76,820 $36.94 230 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $76,050 $36.56 490 Accountants and Auditors $75,610 $36.35 2,000 Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary $75,460 n/a 240 Social and Community Service Managers $74,610 $35.87 210 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $74,230 $35.69 720 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $73,780 $35.47 1,490 Logisticians $73,540 $35.35 340 Cost Estimators $71,330 $34.29 350 Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary $71,320 n/a 250 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $70,520 $33.90 1,240 Healthcare Support Workers, All Other $69,870 $33.59 380 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary $68,480 $32.92 470 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $67,990 $32.69 1,120
Where most people work Largest occupations in Winston-Salem by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Registered Nurses 8,950 $84,270 $40.51 Cashiers 7,270 $27,540 $13.24 Retail Salespersons 6,940 $29,160 $14.02 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 6,540 $37,890 $18.22 Cooks, Fast Food 6,370 $27,680 $13.31 Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,860 $29,120 $14.00 Stockers and Order Fillers 4,740 $33,940 $16.32 Nursing Assistants 4,230 $37,900 $18.22 Customer Service Representatives 4,060 $37,140 $17.86 Waiters and Waitresses 3,970 $22,580 $10.86 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3,840 $39,690 $19.08 General and Operations Managers 3,610 $99,110 $47.65 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 3,550 $49,520 $23.81 Office Clerks, General 3,450 $37,580 $18.07 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 3,000 $29,100 $13.99 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 2,940 $50,930 n/a Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,910 $30,670 $14.74 Cooks, Restaurant 2,760 $34,510 $16.59 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 2,660 $41,580 $19.99 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 2,620 $43,700 $21.01
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other North Carolina metro areas Durham-Chapel Hill 342,530 workers $59,740 Raleigh-Cary 723,590 workers $49,560 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia 1,340,800 workers $48,880 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 754,860 workers $48,430 Asheville 187,430 workers $44,990 Greenville 81,410 workers $44,980 Winston-Salem pay: common questions What is the average salary in Winston-Salem? The median across all occupations is $45,050 , or $21.66 an hour, covering 273,340 wage and salary workers. The mean is $58,680, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Winston-Salem pay more than the rest of North Carolina? No. The metro median of $45,050 is 4% below the North Carolina median of $46,950. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Winston-Salem? Nurse Anesthetists ($236,370), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($141,940), Financial Managers ($140,870). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Winston-Salem unusually full of? Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, at 14.2× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.