StateRates

Roanoke salaries

The median worker in the Roanoke, VA metro area earned $46,010 a year in 2024, about $22.12 an hour. That ranks #218 of the 391 metro areas published here, 7.1% below the national median.

Virginia

Median pay $46,010 $22.12 per hour
Vs national -7.1% U.S. $49,500
Workers 152,120 wage and salary
Metro rank #218 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Roanoke pays 13.2% 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.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 2.36× 710 $70,430
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers 2.13× 550 $42,040
Nursing Assistants 1.99× 2,730 $38,260
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 1.98× 2,850 $43,570
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 1.96× 820 $54,320
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors 1.85× 550 $36,810
Registered Nurses 1.84× 5,970 $75,960
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians 1.74× 590 $48,650
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors 1.73× 750 $50,750
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 1.59× 990 $61,510
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers 1.47× 580 $49,540
Industrial Machinery Mechanics 1.46× 610 $59,070

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Roanoke
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Computer and Information Systems Managers $159,190 $76.53 220
Financial Managers $146,210 $70.29 520
Pharmacists $135,350 $65.07 390
Sales Managers $127,990 $61.53 250
Lawyers $127,270 $61.19 480
Managers, All Other $122,180 $58.74 250
Nurse Practitioners $122,030 $58.67 250
Medical and Health Services Managers $120,020 $57.70 570
Industrial Production Managers $110,400 $53.08 210
Electrical Engineers $105,830 $50.88 220
Physical Therapists $101,260 $48.69 340
Software Developers $99,700 $47.93 840
Mechanical Engineers $98,920 $47.56 300
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $98,410 n/a 340
Occupational Therapists $96,530 $46.41 210
Construction Managers $96,150 $46.23 290
General and Operations Managers $95,940 $46.12 2,910
Industrial Engineers $89,960 $43.25 330
Management Analysts $89,860 $43.20 570
Computer Systems Analysts $88,610 $42.60 410
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $88,190 $42.40 280
Civil Engineers $85,450 $41.08 270
Project Management Specialists $82,540 $39.69 890
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $80,090 $38.51 300
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $79,450 $38.20 340
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $77,420 $37.22 370
Registered Nurses $75,960 $36.52 5,970
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $75,910 $36.50 790
Loan Officers $74,960 $36.04 250
Accountants and Auditors $71,770 $34.50 1,310
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $70,430 $33.86 710
Cost Estimators $67,420 $32.41 250
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $66,780 $32.11 980
Human Resources Specialists $65,530 $31.50 950
Compliance Officers $65,330 $31.41 430
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $64,950 $31.23 770
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $64,110 $30.82 930
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,600 $30.58 600
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $63,080 n/a 990
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians $62,710 $30.15 200
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $62,270 n/a 1,370
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $62,230 $29.92 290
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $62,120 $29.87 240
Training and Development Specialists $61,640 $29.64 330
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $61,580 $29.61 1,300
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $61,510 $29.57 990
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,030 n/a 620
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $60,690 $29.18 1,330
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School $60,610 n/a 270
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $60,250 $28.97 580
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $60,100 $28.90 780
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $59,870 $28.78 960
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $59,600 $28.65 350
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $59,070 $28.40 610
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $57,710 $27.75 320
Postal Service Mail Carriers $57,660 $27.72 370
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators $57,490 $27.64 250
Electricians $56,840 $27.33 700
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $54,320 $26.12 820
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $53,950 $25.94 2,990

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Roanoke by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Registered Nurses 5,970 $75,960 $36.52
Retail Salespersons 4,380 $29,790 $14.32
Fast Food and Counter Workers 3,430 $26,990 $12.97
Cashiers 3,310 $28,320 $13.62
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 2,990 $53,950 $25.94
Stockers and Order Fillers 2,960 $34,260 $16.47
General and Operations Managers 2,910 $95,940 $46.12
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,900 $42,330 $20.35
Customer Service Representatives 2,850 $44,560 $21.42
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2,850 $43,570 $20.95
Nursing Assistants 2,730 $38,260 $18.40
Waiters and Waitresses 2,370 $34,940 $16.80
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2,160 $27,660 $13.30
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,090 $31,020 $14.92
Office Clerks, General 1,970 $41,210 $19.81
Cooks, Restaurant 1,630 $33,670 $16.19
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,560 $42,410 $20.39
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 1,490 $45,060 $21.67
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,370 $62,270 n/a
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1,330 $60,690 $29.18

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

Roanoke pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Roanoke?

The median across all occupations is $46,010, or $22.12 an hour, covering 152,120 wage and salary workers. The mean is $57,160, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Roanoke pay more than the rest of Virginia?

No. The metro median of $46,010 is 13.2% 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 Roanoke?

Computer and Information Systems Managers ($159,190), Financial Managers ($146,210), Pharmacists ($135,350). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Roanoke unusually full of?

Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators, at 2.36× 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.