Registered Nurses salary in Winston-Salem, NC
Median pay for registered nurses in Winston-Salem, NC: $83,020/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $66,470 – $106,970 · about 8,750 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$2,210 (+3%).
What it's really worth in Winston-Salem
With Winston-Salem's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $83,020 has the buying power of about $90,631 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 70th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Winston-Salem's cost of living is applied, it ranks 53rd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Winston-Salem sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Winston-Salem
A median home in Winston-Salem, NC costs $283,871 — about 3.4× 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 22% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +125% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +118% | 2.1× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +116% | 2.3× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +90% | 1.5× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | $87,190 | +5% | 1× |
| Raleigh, NC | $81,910 | −1% | 1.1× |
| Charlotte, NC | $81,190 | −2% | 1.1× |
| Greensboro, NC | $80,950 | −2% | 0.9× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses 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.