rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $81,440
- Median hourly wage: $39.15
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Winston-Salem that require a bachelor's degree
Between rising tuition and a tight job market, getting a bachelor's degree is an increasingly daunting prospect these days. Per a May 2024 Pew Research Center survey, just 1 in 4 adults believe a college degree is necessary to secure a high-paying job.
Many second-guess the value of college because of the cost. For the 2024-2025 school year, annual tuition and fees averaged more than $11,600 at in-state public universities, a nearly 3% increase from the previous year. Tuition at private schools increased by roughly 4% in the same time period.
Besides financial concerns, there are career opportunities to consider. Though the job market in the United States shifts from month to month, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates aged 22 to 27 reached 5.8% in March 2025, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For context, that's more than double the unemployment rate of all college graduates.
These factors all contribute to the belief that college may not be the answer for everyone. However, research shows that a bachelor's degree still pays off in the long run. As of 2024, the most recent year with available data, the $60,000 median salary for a recent college graduate is $20,000 more than the median earnings for someone with only a high school diploma.
Although high school grads can make a decent salary without taking on student loan debt, lifetime earnings range between $630,000 and $900,000 more for those with a bachelor's degree. Graduate degree holders, meanwhile, may earn $1.1 million to $1.5 million more than high school graduates.
With this in mind, many different jobs make a degree worth the cost of tuition. Stacker ranked the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor's degree in Winston-Salem, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,060
- Median hourly wage: $39.45
- Total employment: 630 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $82,680
- Median hourly wage: $39.75
- Total employment: 200 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,860
- Median hourly wage: $39.84
- Total employment: 420 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $83,130
- Median hourly wage: $39.97
- Total employment: 260 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,710
- Median hourly wage: $40.25
- Total employment: 340 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $84,270
- Median hourly wage: $40.51
- Total employment: 8,950 people (32.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $84,800
- Median hourly wage: $40.77
- Total employment: 440 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,970
- Median hourly wage: $42.29
- Total employment: 400 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $88,820
- Median hourly wage: $42.70
- Total employment: 80 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $90,490
- Median hourly wage: $43.51
- Total employment: 140 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,030
- Median hourly wage: $44.73
- Total employment: 720 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,710
- Median hourly wage: $45.54
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $94,890
- Median hourly wage: $45.62
- Total employment: 460 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $95,780
- Median hourly wage: $46.05
- Total employment: 220 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $97,540
- Median hourly wage: $46.90
- Total employment: 200 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $97,810
- Median hourly wage: $47.02
- Total employment: 260 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Financial examiners
- Median annual wage: $98,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.18
- Total employment: 90 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $98,180
- Median hourly wage: $47.20
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,100
- Median hourly wage: $47.64
- Total employment: 160 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $99,110
- Median hourly wage: $47.65
- Total employment: 3,610 people (13.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $99,260
- Median hourly wage: $47.72
- Total employment: 350 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,080
- Median hourly wage: $48.60
- Total employment: 90 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $101,830
- Median hourly wage: $48.96
- Total employment: 1,080 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $104,700
- Median hourly wage: $50.34
- Total employment: 670 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $105,730
- Median hourly wage: $50.83
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $106,820
- Median hourly wage: $51.36
- Total employment: 80 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,400
- Median hourly wage: $51.64
- Total employment: 1,030 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $109,920
- Median hourly wage: $52.85
- Total employment: 1,080 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $110,220
- Median hourly wage: $52.99
- Total employment: 90 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $114,850
- Median hourly wage: $55.22
- Total employment: 180 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $116,570
- Median hourly wage: $56.05
- Total employment: 650 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $116,720
- Median hourly wage: $56.11
- Total employment: 70 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $116,950
- Median hourly wage: $56.23
- Total employment: 180 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $120,710
- Median hourly wage: $58.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#14. Human resources managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $122,940
- Median hourly wage: $59.11
- Total employment: 360 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Database architects (tie)
- Median annual wage: $122,940
- Median hourly wage: $59.11
- Total employment: 110 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $123,170
- Median hourly wage: $59.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $123,700
- Median hourly wage: $59.47
- Total employment: 360 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Credit analysts
- Median annual wage: $124,520
- Median hourly wage: $59.86
- Total employment: 100 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $125,140
- Median hourly wage: $60.17
- Total employment: 1,270 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $127,010
- Median hourly wage: $61.06
- Total employment: 840 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $129,570
- Median hourly wage: $62.29
- Total employment: 640 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $134,770
- Median hourly wage: $64.79
- Total employment: 190 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $137,950
- Median hourly wage: $66.32
- Total employment: 610 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $140,870
- Median hourly wage: $67.73
- Total employment: 1,030 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $141,940
- Median hourly wage: $68.24
- Total employment: 680 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $152,630
- Median hourly wage: $73.38
- Total employment: 190 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $159,310
- Median hourly wage: $76.59
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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