Winston-Salem, NC metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Winston-Salem Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Winston-Salem, NC metro area
Figures describe the Winston-Salem, NC metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Winston-Salem city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (5 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 468 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $319,170 | $153.45 | Not published |
| 2 | Radiologists | $317,250 | $152.53 | Not published |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $309,990 | $149.04 | Not published |
| 4 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $293,840 | $141.27 | 80 |
| 5 | Chief Executives | $273,710 | $131.59 | 80 |
| 6 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $258,750 | $124.40 | Not published |
| 7 | Dermatologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 40 |
| 8 | Nurse Anesthetists | $216,140 | $103.91 | 440 |
| 9 | Dentists, General | $168,700 | $81.11 | 230 |
| 10 | Optometrists | $162,540 | $78.14 | 70 |
| 11 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $160,900 | $77.36 | 700 |
| 12 | Marketing Managers | $160,570 | $77.20 | 440 |
| 13 | Fundraising Managers | $158,460 | $76.18 | 70 |
| 14 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $155,200 | $74.61 | 200 |
| 15 | Financial Managers | $155,030 | $74.54 | 980 |
| 16 | Natural Sciences Managers | $148,710 | $71.50 | 220 |
| 17 | Public Relations Managers | $140,680 | $67.64 | 100 |
| 18 | Commercial Pilots | $137,180 | Not published | 40 |
| 19 | Human Resources Managers | $137,110 | $65.92 | 320 |
| 20 | Pharmacists | $135,710 | $65.24 | 1,010 |
| 21 | Sales Managers | $132,550 | $63.72 | 690 |
| 22 | Financial Risk Specialists | $131,630 | $63.29 | 180 |
| 23 | Nurse Practitioners | $130,840 | $62.90 | 750 |
| 24 | Physician Assistants | $130,730 | $62.85 | 730 |
| 25 | Information Security Analysts | $129,980 | $62.49 | 280 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Winston-Salem metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.