Home / Wages / Richmond Richmond salaries The median worker in the Richmond, VA metro area earned $50,020 a year in 2024, about $24.05 an hour. That ranks #76 of the 391 metro areas published here, 1.1% above the national median.
Virginia
Median pay $50,020 $24.05 per hour
Vs national +1.1% U.S. $49,500
Workers 652,900 wage and salary
Metro rank #76 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Richmond pays 5.7% less than Virginia as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Housing here moved +1.8% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +37.2% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the
affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does.
House prices in Richmond .
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Real Estate Brokers 3.14× 660 $49,990 Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents 2.58× 580 $55,320 Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other 2.47× 1,150 $74,890 Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators 2.47× 1,170 $53,350 Operations Research Analysts 2.34× 1,070 $106,420 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 2.31× 830 $78,140 Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2.3× 940 $49,660 Helpers--Electricians 2.27× 620 $38,310 First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers 2.2× 500 $66,550 Financial Examiners 2.14× 570 $89,400 Insurance Underwriters 2.13× 970 $77,930 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors 2.06× 3,840 $56,850
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Richmond Occupation Median Hourly Employed Chief Executives $232,850 $111.95 690 Dentists, General $211,430 $101.65 460 Family Medicine Physicians $201,570 $96.91 500 Computer and Information Systems Managers $172,070 $82.72 1,840 Marketing Managers $167,680 $80.61 1,100 Financial Managers $166,800 $80.19 3,410 Sales Managers $164,320 $79.00 1,520 Architectural and Engineering Managers $159,990 $76.92 540 Pediatricians, General $158,590 $76.25 260 Purchasing Managers $144,520 $69.48 520 Public Relations Managers $141,840 $68.19 370 Managers, All Other $140,540 $67.57 1,960 Pharmacists $138,310 $66.50 1,360 Human Resources Managers $137,380 $66.05 910 Lawyers $132,860 $63.87 3,710 Software Developers $130,760 $62.87 6,990 Physician Assistants $130,050 $62.53 470 Computer Network Architects $129,180 $62.10 840 Database Architects $128,070 $61.57 500 Industrial Production Managers $127,260 $61.18 490 Medical and Health Services Managers $125,780 $60.47 1,750 Nurse Practitioners $124,990 $60.09 1,100 Nurse Anesthetists $124,450 $59.83 310 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $122,910 $59.09 500 Information Security Analysts $122,530 $58.91 1,550 Natural Sciences Managers $121,010 $58.18 240 Engineers, All Other $118,710 $57.07 400 Training and Development Managers $118,180 $56.82 200 Veterinarians $117,640 $56.56 410 Data Scientists $117,020 $56.26 880 Electrical Engineers $110,500 $53.13 830 Administrative Services Managers $110,470 $53.11 560 Facilities Managers $108,600 $52.21 390 Financial Risk Specialists $108,290 $52.06 410 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $107,740 $51.80 830 Education Administrators, All Other $107,720 $51.79 220 Operations Research Analysts $106,420 $51.16 1,070 Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $105,870 $50.90 220 General and Operations Managers $105,840 $50.89 14,720 Computer Occupations, All Other $105,210 $50.58 1,130 Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $105,140 $50.55 230 Financial and Investment Analysts $104,800 $50.39 1,420 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $104,590 $50.28 680 Social and Community Service Managers $104,410 $50.20 750 Occupational Therapists $104,000 $50.00 720 Construction Managers $103,290 $49.66 1,230 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $102,920 n/a 1,160 Web Developers $102,630 $49.34 450 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $102,600 n/a 1,460 Computer Systems Analysts $102,020 $49.05 2,710 First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $101,400 $48.75 480 Mechanical Engineers $101,210 $48.66 560 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $101,140 $48.62 560 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $101,040 n/a 420 Physical Therapists $100,990 $48.55 1,160 Industrial Engineers $100,720 $48.43 830 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $100,670 $48.40 660 Project Management Specialists $100,540 $48.34 5,630 Credit Analysts $100,460 $48.30 550 Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $100,280 n/a 220
Where most people work Largest occupations in Richmond by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Fast Food and Counter Workers 16,920 $28,460 $13.69 Retail Salespersons 16,180 $31,240 $15.02 Registered Nurses 15,440 $89,730 $43.14 General and Operations Managers 14,720 $105,840 $50.89 Cashiers 13,860 $29,760 $14.31 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 13,080 $57,970 $27.87 Stockers and Order Fillers 12,560 $36,520 $17.56 Customer Service Representatives 11,870 $39,480 $18.98 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 10,490 $44,960 $21.61 Office Clerks, General 10,180 $44,610 $21.45 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 10,020 $28,200 $13.56 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 9,630 $33,080 $15.90 Waiters and Waitresses 9,260 $36,510 $17.55 Accountants and Auditors 7,920 $79,620 $38.28 Software Developers 6,990 $130,760 $62.87 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 6,850 $64,530 $31.02 Nursing Assistants 6,580 $38,890 $18.70 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 6,420 $48,860 $23.49 Management Analysts 6,370 $93,950 $45.17 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 6,310 $49,140 $23.63
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other Virginia metro areas Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 3,118,630 workers $68,430 Charlottesville 112,830 workers $51,740 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 754,860 workers $48,430 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford 74,400 workers $47,700 Winchester 68,300 workers $47,310 Staunton-Stuarts Draft 50,510 workers $46,140 Richmond pay: common questions What is the average salary in Richmond? The median across all occupations is $50,020 , or $24.05 an hour, covering 652,900 wage and salary workers. The mean is $66,110, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Richmond pay more than the rest of Virginia? No. The metro median of $50,020 is 5.7% below the Virginia median of $53,020. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Richmond? Chief Executives ($232,850), Dentists, General ($211,430), Family Medicine Physicians ($201,570). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Richmond unusually full of? Real Estate Brokers, at 3.14× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.