Firefighter · Winston-Salem, NC
Firefighter in Winston-Salem: -$528/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median firefighter wage in Winston-Salem at $35,730 a year. About 990 firefighter jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.64). The 10th percentile is $28,580 and the 90th is $45,390. Pay ranks 323rd-highest of 346 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 2.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,047/mo). North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps -$528 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Richmond, about 185 miles away, at $704 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
-$528
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$35,730
$28,580 to $45,390
Rent (1 bd)
$1,047
$1,246 (2 bd)
Employment
990
Location quotient 1.64
Pay rank
323rd of 346
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
2.8×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, firefighter pay of $35,730.
- Taxes$497
- Rent$1,047
- Other living costs$1,962
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $35,730
- Federal income tax
- −$2,249
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$2,733
- State income tax (NC)
- −$977
- Take-home pay
- $29,771
- Effective tax rate
- 16.7%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,047
- Groceries
- $385
- Getting around
- $567
- Healthcare
- $433
- Utilities and internet
- $241
- Everything else
- $337
- Total spending
- $3,009
Left over each month
$2,978 gross, minus $497 in tax and $3,009 in living costs.
-$528
Rank every metro for a firefighter
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Richmond, $704/mo.
Firefighter leftover by city →Best cities for firefighters to move to →Firefighter nearby
Other jobs in Winston-Salem
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a firefighter make in Winston-Salem?
$35,730 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 990 firefighter jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a firefighter in Winston-Salem?
-$528 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. North Carolina charges a 4.25% flat income tax Rent is $1,047, and pay covers 2.8× a year of it.
Where nearby would a firefighter keep more?
Richmond, about 185 miles away, leaves $704 a month, more than Winston-Salem.