State salary profile · Virginia

Virginia Salaries

Virginia statewide wages plus 9 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

$209,822
Mean of top 50 medians
746
Occupations
13
Local wage areas
287,780
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Virginia is $209,822.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 746 occupations in Virginia; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Anesthesiologists, earns $488,310, versus $26,170 for Gambling Dealers at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 9 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

Virginia · employment ≠ wage

In Virginia, Fast Food and Counter Workers lead by published employment (104,460 jobs, #1 of 709) but rank #703 of 709 on median wage ($30,110), while Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric top the wage list at $478,710 (#1 of 709) with 170 jobs (#629 of 709). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

104,460
Fast Food and Counter Work... employment #1
$478,710
Orthopedic Surgeons wage #1
#629
Employment rank of wage leader
#703
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Virginia's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Fast Food and Counter Workers lead Virginia by employment; Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric lead on median wage at $478,710.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Virginia, the picture in one line

Virginia ranks #11 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Anesthesiologists at $488,310. Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

#11
of 54 states by published mean wage
$488,310
top-paying: Anesthesiologists
80th
percentile among all states
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
local OEWS: Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA and Charlottesville, VA

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA.

Statewide OEWS footprints behind Virginia's 13 local areas

Software Developers and Managers, All Other lead Virginia's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Software Developers 88,280 jobs · $136,460
  2. 2. Managers, All Other 21,560 jobs · $166,230
  3. 3. Financial Managers 20,850 jobs · $185,220
  4. 4. Lawyers 18,580 jobs · $167,210
  5. 5. Computer and Information Systems Managers 17,550 jobs · $201,490
  6. 6. Computer Occupations, All Other 17,000 jobs · $139,030
  7. 7. Sales Managers 9,670 jobs · $191,130
  8. 8. Computer Network Architects 9,380 jobs · $141,340
  9. 9. Physicians, All Other 8,480 jobs · $278,530
  10. 10. Pharmacists 7,980 jobs · $144,060
  11. 11. Marketing Managers 6,890 jobs · $187,820
  12. 12. Human Resources Managers 5,770 jobs · $165,980
  13. 13. Database Architects 5,260 jobs · $160,360
  14. 14. Engineers, All Other 5,060 jobs · $148,160
  15. 15. Chief Executives 4,870 jobs · $310,740
  16. 16. Architectural and Engineering Managers 4,390 jobs · $176,160
  17. 17. Dentists, General 4,140 jobs · $197,110
  18. 18. Computer and Information Research Scientists 3,590 jobs · $157,390
  19. 19. Purchasing Managers 3,540 jobs · $166,230
  20. 20. Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 3,380 jobs · $140,670

Local BLS wage areas inside Virginia

Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Charlottesville, VA Harrisonburg, VA Lynchburg, VA Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area Richmond, VA Roanoke, VA Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Winchester, VA-WV

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Virginia moved from $53,020 in May 2024 to $55,690 in May 2025 (+5.0%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Virginia sits +2.3 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Operations Research Analysts shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Virginia

Operations Research Analysts publishes $129,460 here versus $88,940 nationally (+45.6%; 6,980statewide jobs). Next is Bartenders at $47,070 locally versus $34,340 nationally (+37.1%).

  1. Operations Research Analysts$129,460 in Virginia sits 45.6% above the national Operations Research Analysts median of $88,940 (6,980 published local jobs).
  2. Bartenders$47,070 in Virginia sits 37.1% above the national Bartenders median of $34,340 (13,370 published local jobs).
  3. Sales Managers$191,130 in Virginia sits 28.9% above the national Sales Managers median of $148,270 (9,670 published local jobs).
  4. Waiters and Waitresses$44,760 in Virginia sits 27.1% above the national Waiters and Waitresses median of $35,230 (59,370 published local jobs).

Operations Research Analysts and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Virginia; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Virginia OEWS table has a published median for 746 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 287,780; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $209,822 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

At the top of the ranking, Anesthesiologists pays a Virginia median of $488,310, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $478,710, followed by Cardiologists at $461,450. At the bottom of the published range, Gambling Dealers has a median of $26,170, making the displayed endpoint ratio 18.7×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 9 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Virginia, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Because Virginia publishes 13 OEWS areas, treat the statewide Anesthesiologists median as a roll-up and re-check the same occupation in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA or Charlottesville, VA where BLS releases the row. Tips and commissions stay inside OEWS; benefits and equity do not. Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$209,822

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$488,310

Anesthesiologists

Where Virginia ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA and Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA

$74,040 Top 20% higher than 80% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Below this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$74,040 · 80th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Virginia ranks #11 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($74,040). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $74,040 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $73,234. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Virginia (RPP 101.1, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Virginia

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 746 distinct occupations in Virginia. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Virginia, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Virginia jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Software Developers $136,460
2 Managers, All Other $166,230
3 Financial Managers $185,220
4 Lawyers $167,210
5 Computer and Information Systems Managers $201,490
6 Computer Occupations, All Other $139,030
7 Sales Managers $191,130
8 Computer Network Architects $141,340
9 Physicians, All Other $278,530
10 Pharmacists $144,060
11 Marketing Managers $187,820
12 Human Resources Managers $165,980
13 Database Architects $160,360
14 Engineers, All Other $148,160
15 Chief Executives $310,740
16 Architectural and Engineering Managers $176,160
17 Dentists, General $197,110
18 Computer and Information Research Scientists $157,390
19 Purchasing Managers $166,230
20 Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $140,670
21 Family Medicine Physicians $222,630
22 Public Relations Managers $176,340
23 Aerospace Engineers $143,210
24 Computer Hardware Engineers $139,030
25 Natural Sciences Managers $150,570
26 Air Traffic Controllers $191,820
27 Training and Development Managers $137,520
28 Economists $137,590
29 Physicists $145,040
30 Fundraising Managers $143,730
31 Cardiologists $461,450
32 Chemical Engineers $136,380
33 Pediatricians, General $195,940
34 Nurse Anesthetists $252,110
35 Psychologists, All Other $140,640
36 Mathematicians $148,030
37 Psychiatrists $295,010
38 Surgeons, All Other $360,510
39 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $403,430
40 Advertising and Promotions Managers $148,400
41 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $478,710
42 Physicians, Pathologists $240,780
43 Medical Dosimetrists $142,830
44 Anesthesiologists $488,310
45 Radiologists $376,270
46 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $282,410
47 Dermatologists $280,060
48 Legal Support Workers, All Other $179,960
49 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $177,410
50 Compensation and Benefits Managers $153,660

Lowest Paying Jobs in Virginia

Occupation Median Salary
Gambling Dealers $26,170
Taxi Drivers $28,490
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $28,580
Shampooers $28,920
Cooks, Fast Food $29,950
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $30,070
Parking Attendants $30,110
Fast Food and Counter Workers $30,110
Home Health and Personal Care Aides $30,300
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants $30,350
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $30,490
Cashiers $30,580
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $30,910
Cooks, Short Order $31,200
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $31,220
Upholsterers $31,950
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers $32,140
Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers $32,320
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $32,410
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand $32,470
Dishwashers $33,130
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $33,270
Physical Therapist Aides $33,390
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $33,820
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other $33,910

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Virginia. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Virginia. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($74,040 here) and reported employment (4,109,320 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Virginia pages

Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

Local OEWS wage area

Charlottesville, VA

Local OEWS wage area

Harrisonburg, VA

Local OEWS wage area

Lynchburg, VA

Local OEWS wage area

Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Virginia

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Virginia

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Anesthesiologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Virginia? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $209,822/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Virginia? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $74,040/year for Virginia in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 11th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Virginia? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Virginia is Anesthesiologists with a median salary of $488,310/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $478,710/year.
What jobs pay the least in Virginia? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Virginia ranking is Gambling Dealers at $26,170/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Virginia? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 9 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Virginia. Published local OEWS areas include Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, then Richmond, VA, Roanoke, VA, Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Virginia? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 746 distinct occupations in Virginia. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 287,780 jobs in covered establishments.

Local-area sources inside Virginia

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS OEWS metro area tables → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Virginia wage data in a real decision

  • Virginia has 13 published OEWS areas starting with Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA; open Anesthesiologists inside a metro before using the statewide $488,310 median. Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
  • Inside Virginia, re-check Anesthesiologists in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Lynchburg, VA or Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
  • Open Anesthesiologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Virginia's statewide median of $488,310 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Anesthesiologists
  • The published Virginia range runs from Gambling Dealers at $26,170 to Anesthesiologists at $488,310; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.