Bookkeeper salary in Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem pays bookkeepers close to the North Carolina norm. The median is $48,360 a year1, about level with the North Carolina statewide median of $47,930 and 4.6% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #215 of 521. BLS counts about 2,880 people in this job here, 6% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Winston-Salem, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Winston-Salem against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem, NC | $34,220 | $48,360 | $63,590 | |
| North Carolina | $33,710 | $47,930 | $67,290 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Winston-Salem earns $39,620–$58,390. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $63,590, only 1.9 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $18,770 wide, wider than in North Carolina as a whole ($18,190) and the US ($17,950), so what a bookkeeper earns in Winston-Salem depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,220 | $2,852 | $16.45 | $44,155 |
| 25th percentile | $39,620 | $3,302 | $19.05 | $51,123 |
| Median | $48,360 | $4,030 | $23.25 | $62,400 |
| 75th percentile | $58,390 | $4,866 | $28.07 | $75,342 |
| 90th percentile | $63,590 | $5,299 | $30.57 | $82,052 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $10,030 a year in pay and about $12,942 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,740 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Winston-Salem, and the North Carolina statewide median of $47,930 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Winston-Salem
At the $48,360 median, a local hire costs about $62,400 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,040 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for bookkeepers we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Winston-Salem
Of the 17 roles we track in Winston-Salem, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($49,990) and medical administrative assistants ($46,370). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,560.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +4.8% | 830 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +3.4% | 220 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 2,880 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -4.1% | 3,980 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -5.6% | 2,250 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Winston-Salem (-4.6%), between administrative assistants (-4.0%) and e-commerce order specialists (-5.1%). The typical role here is at -9.7%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Winston-Salem than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 11.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Winston-Salem, 9.3% across North Carolina and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $42,910 in Jacksonville to $50,800 in Charlotte-Concord, a gap of $7,890 a year. Of the 4 areas in North Carolina with more bookkeepers than Winston-Salem, 2 pay less: Greensboro-High Point, NC ($46,990) and the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area ($44,690).
| Area | Median | vs Winston-Salem | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +5.0% | 2,570 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +3.8% | 7,550 | |
| Asheville, NC | +1.1% | 2,200 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | this area | 2,880 | |
| Greenville, NC | -1.4% | 720 | |
| Burlington, NC | -1.9% | 600 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -2.8% | 3,440 |
Winston-Salem against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Winston-Salem is #83 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside North Carolina, Memphis and Lafayette-West Lafayette pay just above Winston-Salem and Topeka and Elmira just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Winston-Salem. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Winston-Salem | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +30.0% | 2,900 | jobs | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +0.1% | 930 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | +0.1% | 6,320 | pay | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | this area | 2,880 | ||
| Topeka, KS | -0.0% | 1,260 | pay | |
| Elmira, NY | -0.1% | 350 | pay | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -3.0% | 2,920 | jobs | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | -3.1% | 2,910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Winston-Salem, NC?
About $62,400 a year at the median, or $5,200 a month: $48,360 in pay plus about $14,040 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Winston-Salem?
The median was $48,360 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,220, the 90th $63,590, and the middle half earned $39,620 to $58,390.
Is Winston-Salem cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for bookkeepers?
About the same: a median of $48,360 against $47,930 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Asheville at $48,870, the next down Greenville at $47,670.
How many bookkeepers work in Winston-Salem?
BLS counts about 2,880 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the North Carolina total of 48,760. 4 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area, with about 2,990.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Winston-Salem?
Yes: $1,990 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,360 and $46,370.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.