Commercial electrical hiring in Winston-Salem.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is completing a $450M care tower in 2026. Healthcare-construction electricians now run about 9% above national - the clear premium in an otherwise near-parity market.
A hospital tower, and a growing biotech/mixed-use district.
Electrical hiring in Winston-Salem is a genuinely balanced market where standard commercial work prices close to national parity - with real concentrated demand from two large, distinct projects.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is completing the Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag Tower in 2026, part of a ~$426M campus expansion; the $619.1M bond issuance cited elsewhere also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history. Emergency-power and life-safety electrical systems at this scale are exactly why healthcare-construction electricians carry the clear premium in this metro.
Separately, Innovation Quarter Phase II is a 28-acre site adding eight new buildings and over 2.5 million sq ft of retail, scientific, healthcare, and residential space - lab-facility electrical work for the biotech and scientific buildings adds a further specialty layer.
Capital projects driving Winston-Salem electrical demand
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower~$426M campus expansion (the $619.1M bond issuance also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower)
A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history, completing 2026. Emergency-power and life-safety electrical systems at this scale are why healthcare-construction electricians carry the clear premium in this otherwise near-parity market.
- Innovation Quarter Phase IIUndisclosed (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned)
Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space. Lab-facility electrical work for the biotech and scientific buildings is a distinct, higher-skill layer above conventional commercial electrical.
What you'll actually pay - by role.
Most conventional electrical work in this metro prices close to national parity. Healthcare-construction electricians are the clear exception at about 9% above national, tied to the Freischlag Tower. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Electrical Salary Guide.
| Role | Winston-Salem wage range | National average | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial electrician (journeyman) | $28 – $36/hr | $27 – $34/hr | +4% |
| Commercial electrician (apprentice, 3rd-4th year) | $20 – $25/hr | $19 – $24/hr | +3% |
| Healthcare-construction electrician | $32 – $41/hr | $29 – $38/hr | +9% |
| Lab / research-facility electrician | $29 – $38/hr | $27 – $34/hr | +6% |
| Low-voltage / controls electrician | $27 – $34/hr | $26 – $33/hr | +3% |
| Building automation systems (BAS) technician | $30 – $38/hr | $29 – $37/hr | +3% |
| Electrical foreman | $33 – $42/hr | $33 – $42/hr | 0% |
| Electrical project manager | $40 – $52/hr | $40 – $52/hr | 0% |
| Electrical superintendent | $46 – $58/hr | $46 – $58/hr | 0% |
| Electrical estimator (5+ yrs) | $42 – $55/hr | $42 – $54/hr | +1% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Winston-Salem MSA. Ranges reflect 25th-75th percentile, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on certifications, healthcare experience, and years of experience.
What it takes to win the hire in Winston-Salem.
Notes from our own placements in this market - not a ranking of specific competitor contractors.
Where the talent actually comes from
Winston-Salem's own commercial electrical labor pool covers standard journeyman demand well, pricing close to national parity. Healthcare-construction electricians are sourced more selectively, often from candidates with prior hospital-facility electrical experience ahead of the Freischlag Tower's 2026 completion.
Credentials to filter for
North Carolina licenses electrical contractors through the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, requiring 4,000-10,000 documented hours depending on license level, plus a surety bond. For hospital work specifically, prior experience with emergency power and occupied-space, infection-control-compliant work matters as much as the license itself.
What candidates actually expect
Healthcare-construction electricians know the Freischlag Tower is a defined, high-visibility project nearing completion - expect them to weigh this opportunity against the broader Innovation Quarter Phase II buildout for longer-term work.
What kills hires in this market
Treating hospital emergency-power electrical work as interchangeable with standard commercial electrical. The documented +9% premium exists because that scope carries real code and safety stakes that generalist electricians aren't staffed to handle.
Realistic timelines by role
Standard commercial journeyman electricians: 4-6 weeks. Healthcare-construction electricians: 6-8 weeks, because Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's Freischlag Tower is drawing on a specialized labor pool ahead of its 2026 completion.
The positions we fill, most often.
- Healthcare-construction electrician - The hardest hire in the region - emergency-power and life-safety electrical systems for the Freischlag Tower.
- Lab / research-facility electrician - Serves Innovation Quarter Phase II's scientific and biotech buildings.
- Commercial electrician (journeyman) - Core field role across every commercial and institutional project in the metro.
- Electrical foreman - Runs crews on both conventional commercial work and the region's healthcare and biotech capital projects.
- Electrical superintendent - Oversees multi-crew electrical scope on the largest jobs - healthcare or mixed-use/biotech delivery experience is the premium hire.
- Electrical project manager - Coordinates scheduling, procurement, and subcontractor management across the Freischlag Tower and Innovation Quarter Phase II.
- Building automation systems (BAS) technician - Controls integration for commercial and institutional buildings across the metro.
- Low-voltage / controls electrician - Data, security, and life-safety systems wiring for conventional commercial builds.
- Electrical estimator - Prices bids across a market where hospital and lab scope carry materially different code and unit-cost requirements than conventional commercial work.
- Electrical apprentice (3rd-4th year) - Pipeline talent working toward North Carolina State Board electrical licensure.
For the full commercial electrical role catalog, see the Commercial Electrical industry page.
How My Trade Talent hires electrical talent in Winston-Salem.
We don't run a generic trades desk. We track Winston-Salem's electrical labor market specifically - the Freischlag Tower's 2026 timeline, Innovation Quarter Phase II's biotech buildout, and North Carolina's State Board licensing structure. We source healthcare-construction electricians from candidates with prior hospital-facility experience, then screen against the market's actual wage data - not guesswork.
Winston-Salem runs 15% fewer commercial electrical workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Electricians. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Winston-Salem's commercial electrical market compares
In 2023 the Winston-Salem metro had 57 nonresidential electrical contractors (counted by business location), with about 963 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $61,832, 26.9% below the national average of $84,633 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 1.2% over the year, a little behind the 4.9% national increase. The number of these employers rose 3.6%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 8.4 per 100,000 residents against 11 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro. These firms account for 7.6% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Winston-Salem ranks 89th for headcount, 91st for median pay and 73rd for concentration for electricians. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 5,250 | $59,080 | 0.79 | 345 |
| Raleigh | 3,740 | $56,800 | 1.03 | 183 |
| Greensboro | 1,990 | $58,380 | 1.12 | 75 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 1,160 | $59,220 | 0.69 | 62 |
| Winston-Salem | 1,120 | $56,100 | 0.85 | 57 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial electrical employers in Winston-Salem, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Winston-Salem's commercial electrical market has changed since 2018.
Winston-Salem lost nonresidential electrical contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 61 business locations to 57 (down 7%), behind the 6% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: business locations | 61 | 57 | −7% |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: employment | – | 963 | – |
| Nonresidential electrical contractors: average annual pay | – | $61,832 | – |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked questions.
What does it cost to hire commercial electrical staff in Winston-Salem?
Median pay for electricians in Winston-Salem is $56,100 a year, per BLS. That is the midpoint for the metro, so half the market is paid above it — an offer at or below the median asks someone to move for no raise. Specialty and supervisory roles sit well above it, and the wage table on this page breaks those out by role.
How hard is it to hire commercial electrical staff in Winston-Salem?
Winston-Salem has 15% fewer electricians per job than the country as a whole, below the national concentration. Winston-Salem employs about 1,120 of them. A thinner pool means the people you want already have jobs, usually with someone who would rather keep them. Filling these seats is outbound work, not a posting.
How many commercial electrical employers are there in Winston-Salem?
In 2023 the Winston-Salem metro had 57 nonresidential electrical contractors (counted by business location), with about 963 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $61,832, 26.9% below the national average of $84,633 for the same kind of employer. Source: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2023.
How does Winston-Salem compare with other metros for electrical hiring?
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Winston-Salem ranks 89th for headcount, 91st for median pay and 73rd for concentration for electricians. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
How does Winston-Salem compare with other North Carolina metros for electrical talent?
Winston-Salem has the 5th-largest electricians workforce of the 5 North Carolina metros we cover, with about 1,120. For comparison: Charlotte (5,250), Raleigh (3,740), Greensboro (1,990). Candidates often move between these metros, so a search here usually reaches into them too.
How much do commercial electricians make in Winston-Salem?
Journeyman commercial electricians run $28-$36/hr, about 4% above the national average of $27-$34/hr. Healthcare-construction electricians run higher, $32-$41/hr, about 9% above the comparable national range - the clear premium in an otherwise near-parity market, tied to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's Freischlag Tower.
How long does it take to hire a commercial electrician in Winston-Salem?
Standard commercial journeyman electricians: 4-6 weeks from intake to signed offer. Healthcare-construction electricians run 6-8 weeks, because the Freischlag Tower is drawing on a specialized labor pool ahead of its 2026 completion.
Why do healthcare-construction electricians earn more in Winston-Salem?
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is completing the Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag Tower in 2026, part of a ~$426M campus expansion; the $619.1M bond issuance cited elsewhere also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history. That work requires electricians experienced with emergency power and life-safety systems, a scarcer, more specialized skill set worth about a 9% wage premium.
What licensing does a commercial electrician need in Winston-Salem?
North Carolina licenses electrical contractors through the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, requiring 4,000-10,000 documented hours depending on license level, plus a surety bond.
Where does My Trade Talent find electrical candidates for Winston-Salem?
Winston-Salem's own commercial electrical labor pool covers standard journeyman demand well. For healthcare-construction electricians, we source more selectively from candidates with prior hospital-facility electrical experience.
Hiring more than one trade in Winston-Salem? The Winston-Salem market page covers every trade we recruit here, with the wage data and capital projects behind them.
Hiring commercial electricians in Winston-Salem?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.