Salaries · United States · Virginia
Salaries in Virginia 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Virginia is $55,690 a year ($26.78 an hour), 9% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 17th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Virginia earn a median of $67,876 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Virginia: the key figures
| Figure | Virginia | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $55,690 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $74,040 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $30,530 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $139,010 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 4,109,320 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $67,876 ± $412 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $93,170 ± $458 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 101.1 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $12.77 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $55,690, a single person keeps about $44,539 a year ($3,712 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Virginia income tax. With prices 1% above the US average, $55,690 here buys what $55,100 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $55,690 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$4,503 |
| Social Security | -$3,453 |
| Medicare | -$808 |
| Virginia income tax | -$2,388 |
| Take-home a year | $44,539 |
What drives pay in Virginia
Virginia's pay is shaped by the federal government on its doorstep. Federal civilian government produced 5.5% of the state's GDP in 2025, against 2.1% for the US, and the military another 3.0% (US 1.4%), according to BEA. Professional and technical firms are the other pillar: computer systems design made up 4.5% of GDP, about two and a half times the US share, and professional, scientific and technical services as a whole 12.4% (US 8.0%). Software developers are the fourth most common job in Virginia, 88,280 of them on a median of $136,460, and there are 17,550 computer and information systems managers on $201,490.
That high-skill base lifts the all-jobs median to $55,690, 9% above the US and 17th of the 50 states and DC, and the top 10% earn over $139,010 (US $128,560). Food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing is also unusually large for a state economy, 3.0% of GDP against 1.2% nationally.
That reliance on federal spending is now the risk. Virginia Works, the state's workforce agency, reports that Virginia had 25,600 fewer jobs in September 2026 than a year earlier. Federal government employment fell by 18,300 to 169,700, and professional and business services, the state's largest private sector, lost 15,300 jobs. Education and health services added 8,200. Unemployment held at 3.6%, below the US rate of 4.2%.
The highest-paid jobs in Virginia
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 4,870 | $310,740 |
| Physicians, All Other | 8,480 | $278,530 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,930 | $222,630 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 17,550 | $201,490 |
| Dentists, General | 4,140 | $197,110 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 1,120 | $191,820 |
| Sales Managers | 9,670 | $191,130 |
| Marketing Managers | 6,890 | $187,820 |
| Financial Managers | 20,850 | $185,220 |
| Public Relations Managers | 2,610 | $176,340 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 4,390 | $176,160 |
| Lawyers | 18,580 | $167,210 |
| Managers, All Other | 21,560 | $166,230 |
| Purchasing Managers | 3,540 | $166,230 |
| Human Resources Managers | 5,770 | $165,980 |
The most common jobs in Virginia
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 104,460 | $30,110 | $14.48 |
| General and Operations Managers | 103,590 | $122,080 | $58.69 |
| Retail Salespersons | 100,290 | $34,240 | $16.46 |
| Software Developers | 88,280 | $136,460 | $65.61 |
| Cashiers | 83,890 | $30,580 | $14.70 |
| Registered Nurses | 77,490 | $93,600 | $45.00 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 70,070 | $30,300 | $14.57 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 69,660 | $36,380 | $17.49 |
| Office Clerks, General | 66,550 | $46,410 | $22.31 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 65,970 | $35,170 | $16.91 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 59,850 | $42,730 | $20.54 |
| Management Analysts | 59,620 | $117,580 | $56.53 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 59,370 | $44,760 | $21.52 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 58,000 | $39,380 | $18.94 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 48,750 | $56,860 | $27.34 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Virginia
Official BLS medians for Virginia; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 700 | $252,110 |
| Dentist | 4,140 | $197,110 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 1,120 | $191,820 |
| Lawyer | 18,580 | $167,210 |
| Pharmacist | 7,980 | $144,060 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 2,540 | $143,210 |
| Software Engineer | 88,280 | $136,460 |
| Physician Assistant | 4,340 | $135,940 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 19,120 | $134,900 |
| Actuary | 440 | $131,900 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 7,110 | $127,810 |
| Data Scientist | 8,920 | $126,430 |
| Project Manager | 43,860 | $120,840 |
| Elevator Technician | 280 | $108,250 |
| Financial Analyst | 10,410 | $105,490 |
| Commercial Pilot | 1,130 | $104,890 |
| Dental Hygienist | 3,770 | $102,950 |
| Registered Nurse | 77,490 | $93,600 |
| Accountant | 47,100 | $93,290 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 2,260 | $82,200 |
| Compliance Officer | 15,190 | $80,380 |
| UX Designer | 1,990 | $77,140 |
| Paralegal | 10,250 | $63,990 |
| Electrician | 23,630 | $62,900 |
| Plumber | 13,780 | $60,470 |
| HVAC Technician | 14,690 | $59,730 |
| Welder | 10,100 | $59,180 |
Virginia and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $55,690 | 101.1 | $55,100 |
| District of Columbia | $91,540 | 109.9 | $83,300 |
| Kentucky | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,000 |
| Maryland | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,700 |
| North Carolina | $47,970 | 94.3 | $50,900 |
| Tennessee | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,600 |
| West Virginia | $45,300 | 89.5 | $50,600 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Virginia, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Virginia Works: Virginia's September Unemployment Rate Held Steady at 3.6 percent; Labor Force Participation Rate Decreased by 0.1 Percentage Points to 62.7 percent, 21 Oct 2026
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- Salaries in the United States