StateRates

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk salaries

The median worker in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area earned $48,430 a year in 2024, about $23.28 an hour. That ranks #121 of the 391 metro areas published here, 2.2% below the national median.

Virginia North Carolina

Median pay $48,430 $23.28 per hour
Vs national -2.2% U.S. $49,500
Workers 754,860 wage and salary
Metro rank #121 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays 8.7% 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 +38.2% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
17-2121 43.82× 1,810 $100,630
Ship Engineers 31.79× 1,340 $79,540
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic 20.66× 570 $67,580
Sailors and Marine Oilers 15.06× 2,310 $44,720
Riggers 11.29× 1,340 $62,880
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels 9.96× 1,730 $82,660
Telemarketers 5.18× 1,690 $37,240
Helpers--Carpenters 4.46× 540 $46,720
Sheet Metal Workers 3.27× 1,880 $61,800
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 3.19× 580 $115,340
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians 3.1× 1,410 $94,830
Aerospace Engineers 2.81× 940 $132,160

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Dentists, General $202,510 $97.36 710
Computer and Information Systems Managers $171,460 $82.43 1,670
Architectural and Engineering Managers $157,060 $75.51 770
Financial Managers $154,330 $74.20 2,440
Public Relations Managers $154,030 $74.06 280
Marketing Managers $152,880 $73.50 690
Sales Managers $151,410 $72.79 1,240
Purchasing Managers $140,420 $67.51 450
Managers, All Other $136,480 $65.62 2,260
Pharmacists $134,930 $64.87 1,600
Human Resources Managers $132,310 $63.61 650
Aerospace Engineers $132,160 $63.54 940
Business Teachers, Postsecondary $132,150 n/a 460
Computer Hardware Engineers $130,810 $62.89 280
Engineers, All Other $129,310 $62.17 1,410
Computer and Information Research Scientists $127,650 $61.37 510
Database Architects $127,480 $61.29 320
Lawyers $126,250 $60.70 2,600
Software Developers $125,930 $60.54 6,740
Physician Assistants $125,910 $60.53 710
Industrial Production Managers $125,540 $60.36 380
Nurse Practitioners $125,330 $60.25 1,290
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $124,850 n/a 340
Computer Network Architects $121,080 $58.21 960
Personal Financial Advisors $120,620 $57.99 750
Materials Engineers $118,830 $57.13 210
Education Administrators, All Other $117,730 $56.60 210
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $115,340 $55.45 580
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $114,630 $55.11 520
Physicists $114,630 $55.11 290
Computer Occupations, All Other $112,400 $54.04 3,120
Medical and Health Services Managers $110,720 $53.23 1,910
Administrative Services Managers $110,700 $53.22 370
Operations Research Analysts $109,860 $52.82 520
Information Security Analysts $108,370 $52.10 1,820
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $106,880 n/a 560
Data Scientists $106,850 $51.37 610
Electrical Engineers $106,070 $51.00 1,460
Veterinarians $105,870 $50.90 460
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $104,850 $50.41 520
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $103,250 $49.64 750
General and Operations Managers $103,190 $49.61 15,990
Construction Managers $102,710 $49.38 1,300
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $102,360 $49.21 790
Database Administrators $102,310 $49.19 600
Project Management Specialists $102,300 $49.18 6,050
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $101,960 $49.02 650
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay $101,960 $49.02 240
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $101,670 n/a 1,530
Facilities Managers $101,190 $48.65 350
Computer Systems Analysts $100,770 $48.45 2,490
Occupational Therapists $100,690 $48.41 760
17-2121 $100,630 $48.38 1,810
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $100,160 $48.15 460
Computer Programmers $99,970 $48.06 380
Industrial Engineers $99,920 $48.04 1,130
Physical Therapists $99,490 $47.83 1,170
Environmental Engineers $99,250 $47.72 320
Surgical Assistants $98,910 $47.56 290
Management Analysts $98,690 $47.45 7,330

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 22,220 $27,960 $13.44
Retail Salespersons 20,980 $29,790 $14.32
Cashiers 17,380 $28,760 $13.83
Registered Nurses 16,270 $81,170 $39.03
General and Operations Managers 15,990 $103,190 $49.61
Waiters and Waitresses 13,550 $36,910 $17.74
Stockers and Order Fillers 12,660 $34,810 $16.74
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 11,790 $31,490 $15.14
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 11,660 $38,540 $18.53
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 11,490 $27,780 $13.36
Customer Service Representatives 11,390 $37,090 $17.83
Office Clerks, General 11,380 $42,460 $20.41
Nursing Assistants 8,850 $37,400 $17.98
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 8,530 $49,020 $23.57
Cooks, Restaurant 8,510 $35,530 $17.08
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 8,480 $88,170 $42.39
Security Guards 7,440 $37,810 $18.18
Management Analysts 7,330 $98,690 $47.45
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 7,200 $60,820 n/a
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 6,910 $36,620 n/a

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

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?

The median across all occupations is $48,430, or $23.28 an hour, covering 754,860 wage and salary workers. The mean is $62,690, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pay more than the rest of Virginia?

No. The metro median of $48,430 is 8.7% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?

Dentists, General ($202,510), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($171,460), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($157,060). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk unusually full of?

17-2121, at 43.82× 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.