Pharmacists salary in Winston-Salem, NC
Median pay for pharmacists in Winston-Salem, NC: $137,990/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $78,820 – $169,140 · about 920 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($135,000) by +$2,990 (+2%).
What it's really worth in Winston-Salem
With Winston-Salem's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $137,990 has the buying power of about $150,641 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $60,145 · median home $283,871 · median rent $1,546/mo.
How Winston-Salem ranks for this job
On raw pay, Winston-Salem, NC is 56th of the 187 metros we hold pharmacists wages for. Once Winston-Salem's cost of living is applied, it ranks 22nd.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Winston-Salem is one of the places where pharmacists gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Winston-Salem
A median home in Winston-Salem, NC costs $283,871 — about 2.1× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,546/mo works out at 13% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where pharmacists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Winston-Salem.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $190,570 | +38% | 2.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $180,420 | +31% | 2.1× |
| Vallejo, CA | $179,210 | +30% | 1.6× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $170,100 | +23% | 1.7× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | $144,730 | +5% | 1.1× |
| Charlotte, NC | $137,740 | +0% | 1.1× |
| Fayetteville, NC | $135,800 | −2% | 1× |
| Raleigh, NC | $135,370 | −2% | 1.1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires pharmacists around Winston-Salem
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist · Healthcare
- Novant Health · Healthcare
Other jobs in Winston-Salem
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.