High paying jobs in Winston-Salem, NC

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Winston-Salem, NC. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in Winston-Salem, NC run 8.0% below the national average (2024), so a Winston-Salem, NC salary is worth about 1.09× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Winston-Salem, NC

OccupationMedian, Winston-Salem, NC · Employed

1Nurse Anesthetists$216,140
Master's degree
$72,220 – $301,220440
2Dentists, General$168,700
Doctoral or professional degree
$56,060 – $318,200230
3Computer and Information Systems Managers$160,900
Bachelor's degree
$99,340 – $227,130700
4Marketing Managers$160,570
Bachelor's degree
$99,320 – $236,160440
5Architectural and Engineering Managers$155,200
Bachelor's degree
$106,250 – $226,230200
6Financial Managers$155,030
Bachelor's degree
$94,520 – $301,980980
7Natural Sciences Managers$148,710
Bachelor's degree
$97,590 – $245,310220
8Public Relations Managers$140,680
Bachelor's degree
$84,160 – $222,780100
9Human Resources Managers$137,110
Bachelor's degree
$88,000 – $224,390320
10Pharmacists$135,710
Doctoral or professional degree
$65,100 – $167,2801,010
11Sales Managers$132,550
Bachelor's degree
$65,670 – $251,940690
12Financial Risk Specialists$131,630
Bachelor's degree
$62,230 – $166,570180
13Nurse Practitioners$130,840
Master's degree
$105,120 – $161,520750
14Physician Assistants$130,730
Master's degree
$104,580 – $169,210730
15Information Security Analysts$129,980
Bachelor's degree
$66,440 – $172,770280
16Managers, All Other$129,160
Bachelor's degree
$68,500 – $217,780740
17Purchasing Managers$128,990
Bachelor's degree
$76,650 – $202,740100
18Veterinarians$128,530
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,850 – $208,220150
19Lawyers$126,250
Doctoral or professional degree
$45,010 – $317,580830
20Database Architects$125,530
Bachelor's degree
$79,630 – $161,300130
21Industrial Production Managers$124,880
Bachelor's degree
$73,830 – $201,990660
22Software Developers$124,130
Bachelor's degree
$78,700 – $169,3601,050
23Computer Network Architects$119,870
Bachelor's degree
$79,560 – $165,200250
24Medical and Health Services Managers$118,440
Bachelor's degree
$74,610 – $218,700920
25Facilities Managers$109,940
Bachelor's degree
$63,660 – $172,130240
26Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$106,220
High school diploma or equivalent
$63,980 – $192,300320
27Construction Managers$103,750
Bachelor's degree
$65,330 – $181,260710
28Administrative Services Managers$102,990
Bachelor's degree
$68,480 – $169,520390
29Education Administrators, Postsecondary$101,770
Master's degree
$63,680 – $224,720360
30Data Scientists$101,570
Bachelor's degree
$51,880 – $172,200300
31Computer Systems Analysts$101,320
Bachelor's degree
$71,330 – $136,450770
32Physical Therapists$101,270
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,020 – $124,670510
33Personal Financial Advisors$100,560
Bachelor's degree
$45,420 – $496,400590
34Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$98,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$57,070 – $111,180110
35Chemists$98,090
Bachelor's degree
$57,730 – $138,280240
36Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$98,090
Bachelor's degree
$49,090 – $197,240150
37Industrial Engineers$97,760
Bachelor's degree
$68,830 – $133,940750
38General and Operations Managers$96,840
Bachelor's degree
$48,620 – $221,3703,120
39Dental Hygienists$95,930
Associate's degree
$82,090 – $100,540500
40Mechanical Engineers$95,600
Bachelor's degree
$62,560 – $137,370480
41Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$95,020
Doctoral or professional degree
$79,730 – $103,830140
42Computer Occupations, All Other$94,600
Bachelor's degree
$42,210 – $149,700520
43Network and Computer Systems Administrators$94,550
Bachelor's degree
$59,210 – $150,620450
44Occupational Therapists$93,780
Master's degree
$65,420 – $115,950260
45Electrical Engineers$91,180
Bachelor's degree
$28,940 – $154,300210
46Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$87,220
Associate's degree
$69,640 – $104,320250
47Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$86,870
Associate's degree
$77,080 – $104,970130
48Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary$86,450
Doctoral or professional degree
$65,120 – $104,560120
49Registered Nurses$86,120
Bachelor's degree
$71,550 – $105,49010,180
50Speech-Language Pathologists$85,890
Master's degree
$62,590 – $123,390340

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianWinston-Salem, NC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$216,140	$72,220 – $301,220	440
2	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$168,700	$56,060 – $318,200	230
3	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$160,900	$99,340 – $227,130	700
4	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$160,570	$99,320 – $236,160	440
5	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$155,200	$106,250 – $226,230	200
6	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$155,030	$94,520 – $301,980	980
7	Natural Sciences ManagersBachelor's degree	$148,710	$97,590 – $245,310	220
8	Public Relations ManagersBachelor's degree	$140,680	$84,160 – $222,780	100
9	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$137,110	$88,000 – $224,390	320
10	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$135,710	$65,100 – $167,280	1,010
11	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$132,550	$65,670 – $251,940	690
12	Financial Risk SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$131,630	$62,230 – $166,570	180
13	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$130,840	$105,120 – $161,520	750
14	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$130,730	$104,580 – $169,210	730
15	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$129,980	$66,440 – $172,770	280
16	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$129,160	$68,500 – $217,780	740
17	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$128,990	$76,650 – $202,740	100
18	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$128,530	$75,850 – $208,220	150
19	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$126,250	$45,010 – $317,580	830
20	Database ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$125,530	$79,630 – $161,300	130
21	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$124,880	$73,830 – $201,990	660
22	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$124,130	$78,700 – $169,360	1,050
23	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$119,870	$79,560 – $165,200	250
24	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$118,440	$74,610 – $218,700	920
25	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$109,940	$63,660 – $172,130	240
26	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$106,220	$63,980 – $192,300	320
27	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$103,750	$65,330 – $181,260	710
28	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$102,990	$68,480 – $169,520	390
29	Education Administrators, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$101,770	$63,680 – $224,720	360
30	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$101,570	$51,880 – $172,200	300
31	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$101,320	$71,330 – $136,450	770
32	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$101,270	$78,020 – $124,670	510
33	Personal Financial AdvisorsBachelor's degree	$100,560	$45,420 – $496,400	590
34	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$98,720	$57,070 – $111,180	110
35	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$98,090	$57,730 – $138,280	240
36	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsBachelor's degree	$98,090	$49,090 – $197,240	150
37	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$97,760	$68,830 – $133,940	750
38	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$96,840	$48,620 – $221,370	3,120
39	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$95,930	$82,090 – $100,540	500
40	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$95,600	$62,560 – $137,370	480
41	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$95,020	$79,730 – $103,830	140
42	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$94,600	$42,210 – $149,700	520
43	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$94,550	$59,210 – $150,620	450
44	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$93,780	$65,420 – $115,950	260
45	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$91,180	$28,940 – $154,300	210
46	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$87,220	$69,640 – $104,320	250
47	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$86,870	$77,080 – $104,970	130
48	Computer Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$86,450	$65,120 – $104,560	120
49	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$86,120	$71,550 – $105,490	10,180
50	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$85,890	$62,590 – $123,390	340

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Winston-Salem, NC. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Winston-Salem, NC to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Winston-Salem, NC

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