Highest-paying jobs in Virginia
The highest published median in Virginia is for anesthesiologists, at $488,310 a year. For one more occupation, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $55,690, against $50,980 nationally.
Virginia · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $55,690
- Mean / yr
- $74,040
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 101.1
- Median, price-adjusted
- $55,082
- Adjusted rank
- 15 of 51
- Jobs
- 4,109,320
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in Virginia
VA · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 746
| No. | Occupation | Median in VA | U.S. median | Employed in VA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anesthesiologists | $488,310 | $391,490 | — |
| 2 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $478,710 | $358,550 | 170 |
| 3 | Cardiologists | $461,450 | $496,010 | 810 |
| 4 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $403,430 | $352,220 | 210 |
| 5 | Radiologists | $376,270 | $420,860 | — |
| 6 | Surgeons, All Other | $360,510 | $414,010 | 260 |
| 7 | Chief Executives | $310,740 | $213,990 | 4,870 |
| 8 | Psychiatrists | $295,010 | $281,870 | 370 |
| 9 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $282,410 | $292,910 | — |
| 10 | Dermatologists | $280,060 | $328,730 | — |
| 11 | Physicians, All Other | $278,530 | $265,930 | 8,480 |
| 12 | Nurse Anesthetists | $252,110 | $236,590 | 700 |
| 13 | Physicians, Pathologists | $240,780 | $312,400 | 110 |
| 14 | Family Medicine Physicians | $222,630 | $244,180 | 2,930 |
| 15 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $201,490 | $175,140 | 17,550 |
| 16 | Dentists, General | $197,110 | $170,950 | 4,140 |
| 17 | Pediatricians, General | $195,940 | $210,040 | 750 |
| 18 | Air Traffic Controllers | $191,820 | $148,080 | 1,120 |
| 19 | Sales Managers | $191,130 | $148,270 | 9,670 |
| 20 | Marketing Managers | $187,820 | $166,790 | 6,890 |
| 21 | Financial Managers | $185,220 | $166,570 | 20,850 |
| 22 | Legal Support Workers, All Other | $179,960 | $72,110 | — |
| 23 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $177,410 | $300,080 | — |
| 24 | Public Relations Managers | $176,340 | $146,910 | 2,610 |
| 25 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $176,160 | $171,270 | 4,390 |
| 26 | Lawyers | $167,210 | $159,670 | 18,580 |
| 27 | Purchasing Managers | $166,230 | $148,080 | 3,540 |
| 28 | Managers, All Other | $166,230 | $141,900 | 21,560 |
| 29 | Human Resources Managers | $165,980 | $149,280 | 5,770 |
| 30 | Database Architects | $160,360 | $139,500 | 5,260 |
| 31 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $157,390 | $140,300 | 3,590 |
| 32 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $153,660 | $149,230 | — |
| 33 | Natural Sciences Managers | $150,570 | $167,220 | 1,470 |
| 34 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $148,400 | $133,660 | 180 |
| 35 | Engineers, All Other | $148,160 | $122,930 | 5,060 |
| 36 | Mathematicians | $148,030 | $126,710 | 400 |
| 37 | Physicists | $145,040 | $172,250 | 940 |
| 38 | Pharmacists | $144,060 | $140,910 | 7,980 |
| 39 | Fundraising Managers | $143,730 | $125,470 | 880 |
| 40 | Aerospace Engineers | $143,210 | $134,960 | 2,540 |
| 41 | Medical Dosimetrists | $142,830 | $147,470 | 90 |
| 42 | Computer Network Architects | $141,340 | $134,050 | 9,380 |
| 43 | Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $140,670 | $101,110 | 3,380 |
| 44 | Psychologists, All Other | $140,640 | $110,840 | 510 |
| 45 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $139,030 | $161,740 | 1,720 |
| 46 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $139,030 | $116,580 | 17,000 |
| 47 | Economists | $137,590 | $124,720 | 950 |
| 48 | Training and Development Managers | $137,520 | $133,000 | 1,050 |
| 49 | Software Developers | $136,460 | $135,980 | 88,280 |
| 50 | Chemical Engineers | $136,380 | $125,040 | 790 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in Virginia: Emergency Medicine Physicians. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Virginia
- Chief Executives — $310,740 (4,870 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $278,530 (8,480 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $222,630 (2,930 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $201,490 (17,550 jobs)
- Dentists, General — $197,110 (4,140 jobs)
- Air Traffic Controllers — $191,820 (1,120 jobs)
- Sales Managers — $191,130 (9,670 jobs)
- Marketing Managers — $187,820 (6,890 jobs)
- Financial Managers — $185,220 (20,850 jobs)
- Public Relations Managers — $176,340 (2,610 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.